Her Face
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Fugaku Uchiha knew that something strange was going on when he first saw Daisuke. He had never seen him before, but he had her face. He looked exactly like Mikoto and he was going to find out why. How could he have possibly known that Daisuke was really his son? Sasuke had traveled back in time to prevent the massacre and ended up playing the role of an unintentional matchmaker.
1. Chapter 1

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** This a time travel story with Mikoto and Fugaku as the main pairing. Sasuke will go back into the past to try prevent the Massacre. In the past, Mikoto will be 20 and Fugaku is 25. Sasuke will be 17. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy the story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Chapter Notation:** I got creative with the Uchiha Stone Tablets. While they will be partially cannon, eventually their usage will diverge radically from cannon.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

Sasuke knew that it was crazy, but that wasn't going to stop him. After the war, he had tried to move on with his life. He just couldn't though. The guilt of Itachi's death and everything that he had done to avenge his family weighed too heavily on his soul.

He knew that he should be grateful that Naruto and Itachi had gotten him pardoned and he was. Sasuke just didn't know what he was supposed to do now. Naruto seemed to think that everything would pick up, right where things left off with Team Seven. The blonde had an almost endless capacity for forgiveness, but most people didn't.

"Most people aren't Naruto." He mutters to himself as he glances at the ancient tablets.

Itachi would certainly call him foolish and he definitely was, but he had to try. Sasuke had to try to change the past. It was extremely risky, but the last Uchiha thought that he might have found a way to do it.

The Tablets had been left by Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Most people couldn't read them. One had to possess at the Sharingan to even begin to decode them. Unfortunately, even that wasn't enough. The Mangekyo could read more, but couldn't decipher everything. Now that he had a Rinnegan though, he could fully understand them.

"It's no wonder that he didn't want anyone to fully read them." Sasuke murmurs to himself.

There were secrets about his Clan, Kaguya and her sons, their bloodline, and even time travel listed. The last one was what caught his attention most. Sadly, it was borderline suicidal to even make the attempt. He was going to try anyway though.

"If this works, my note won't be necessary. If it doesn't, at least Naruto will know what happened." Sasuke whispers as he places his note by his bed and he reads the tablets once more.

One had to have four essential ingredients to use this Jutsu successfully. The Rinnegan, a massive amount of chakra, concentration, and blood. It was mostly the chakra and blood requirements that troubled him.

He had a lot of chakra, but he wasn't Naruto. He didn't have the Nine Tails to fall back on, if things went wrong. There was also the blood. As powerful as he was, he had the same amount of blood as anyone else. That meant this was a very risky Jutsu to attempt.

"The blood and chakra pills should help with that. Now, let's get started." He says as he takes his sword and cuts himself.

He chose a vein, not an artery. It would bleed a lot, but not as quickly. Sasuke was a quick healer. He might actually survive this, he thought as he pops the pills into his mouth.

He began to fill a little lightheaded from blood and chakra loss as he performs the necessary signs to activate the Jutsus. Ironically, he suddenly realizes that concentration might be the most difficult ingredient to acquire for this Jutsu.

"I can't let my focus slip. That will end in disaster." He mutters as he tries desperately to focus on his parents.

That's when he was enveloped in a bright light. That was the last thing he remembered before he lost consciousness.

When Sasuke finally reawakened, he hears voices. The Uchiha decides that the smartest thing to do was to feign sleep. Assessing his environment was a critical key to his success.

"Do we have any idea what happened to him?" He hears a feminine voice ask someone.

A feminine voice that he remembered very well. It was his mother! She sounded younger than he remembered her, but he wasn't going to quibble about that now. He had done it!

"I'm not sure what happened to him exactly. He's lost a lot of blood and chakra. My best guess is that he was in one Hell of a battle and managed to escape. Smart boy though. There were traces of chakra and blood pills in his system. He must have taken them after the battle." Someone else says.

Sasuke didn't recognizer her voice. He didn't really care who the second person was. He assumes that she was a medic, but she wasn't his priority! His mother was **ALIVE**!

"It's the strangest thing. He's clearly an Uchiha, but I've never seen him before." Mikoto muses.

"I would have done a blood sample to confirm it, but I didn't want to risk it. The blood replenishing pills might have saved his life, but he isn't out of the woods yet. I expect he'll make a full recovery with the proper care though. You really don't recognize him? I thought that your Clan was rather close knit?" The medic asks.

"He looks so familiar to me, but I haven't seen him before." The other woman replies.

It took all Sasuke's self-control not to jump out of the bed and try to embrace his mother. He held back because she wasn't his mother. Well at least not yet. She didn't recognize him. That and he still felt incredibly weak from the Jutsu. Damn it.

"Well I think that you would have recognized him, if you've met him before. Such a handsome boy. Anyway, I doubt he's going to be awake for a few hours. Have you notified the Third and Fugaku?" She inquires.

"I notified the Third. I thought that it would be best to speak with him first. Fugaku can be rather aggressive when it comes to interrogation. The patient clearly isn't up to his methods. I'm hopeful that the Third will be able to reason with him." His mother says.

"That was probably a wise move. He's an excellent officer, but this isn't a prisoner. This is a patient." The medic states.

Upon hearing that, Sasuke struggles not to give away the fact that he was awake. His mother was alive and his father was likely on the way here. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest with happiness.

Sure enough, Sasuke heard the footsteps of someone walking into the room. Most likely, he decides that it was probably Sarutobi. His mother was alive, that meant that this was at least 10 years ago. The Third would still be elderly, but likely more spry than the last time that Sasuke saw him.

"I heard that we have a rather interesting patient?" He asks in amusement.

"That's putting it mildly. Mikoto found this boy in the Uchiha District. He was completely collapsed. Poor thing was nearly drained of blood and chakra. He must have escaped a Hell of a fight. He clearly had taken some chakra and blood pills though. He looks like an Uchiha, but I don't want to take blood to confirm that. Maybe if I should take a hair or saliva sample?" She inquires.

"I'm reluctant to take genetic samples from someone without their consent, especially when they've committed no crime. Well at least none that we are aware of. This is a special case though. If he's an Uchiha, that is something that we have to know. Take the sample." He instructs her.

Sarutobi watches as the medic nods and pulls a few strands of hair from the "sleeping" man's head. Good. That should be sufficient.

Sasuke mentally panics at this. He couldn't protest though. If he did, they would want to know why. That and it was just a general check to see if he was an Uchiha. It wasn't a paternity test. A paternity test would have ended in disaster.

A few minutes later, Sasuke hears a knock on the door. His mother tells whoever it was that the door was open. Not long after that, Sasuke heard footsteps. He recognized them as belonging to his father.

"Ah Fugaku. I'm glad that you could join us. Mikoto found this boy in your District. He was half dead. She claims she doesn't recognize him, but he certainly looks like an Uchiha to me. What do you think?" Sarutobi asks kindly.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow at that explanation and glances at the man in the bed. That's when he blinks. He had HER FACE!

The boy looked almost identical to Mikoto, save for gender. His first instinct was to say that he was likely the woman's younger brother, but Mikoto didn't have any brothers.

"You're right. He certainly looks like an Uchiha. I've never seen him before in my life though. Strange. If this is someone's attempt at infiltrating our village and district, it's quite creative. Though I don't see what they thought they could gain from it. Any genetic testing will confirm if he's really an Uchiha or an imposter." He reasons.

"We'll have the boy tested. What would you like to do about the situation, until we get the results? This is potentially a Clan Matter. I don't want to become involved, unless it becomes strictly necessary." The Hokage says.

Fugaku frowns as he considers that answer and notices that Mikoto was standing at the stranger's bedside. It was almost like she was guarding him. Immediately, the image of a lioness protecting her cub came to mind. He supposed that he should have seen that coming. Mikoto had always been protective of children.

Admittedly, calling the man in the bed a child was certainly a stretch. Fugaku estimates that he had to be in his late teens. Certainly by that age, many people had already been a ninja for a few years.

That likely wouldn't matter to the dark beauty though. He was weak and defenseless at the moment and younger than her. Fugaku would be shocked if such a combination didn't arouse her maternal instincts.

"Leave him here for now. Whatever his intentions are, he's far too weak to actually carry them out." The Uchiha Patriarch says.

"Very well." Sarutobi agrees.

"If that's everything, I have to get back to the Department." The Uchiha states.

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement. That man was going to give himself a heart attack before thirty at this rate. He worked far too hard.

"Is there something that amuses you, Mikoto?" He asks.

"Yes, something perplexes me about you. I know that you are an intelligent man. Your vocabulary is more than adequate and yet you don't know the meaning of one simple word." She says.

Sarutobi chuckles. He wasn't entirely certain where Mikoto was going with this, but he was sure the results were bound to be entertaining. She seemed to be the only person in the Uchiha Clan (and one of only a handful of individuals in the Leaf Village) who wasn't intimidated by Fugaku.

"And what word is that?" Fugaku inquires.

One never really knew what was going to come out of Mikoto's mouth. She was sweet and kind, but the woman could also be rather sassy. She had a way of getting in subtle jabs that one wouldn't realize was a jab, until long after the encounter was over.

"Vacation. You need one. You're only twenty-five. If you keep this up, you'll end up in the hospital. We'll have to get you a bed next to the stranger. You'll collapse of exhaustion." The raven haired woman informs him.

"Your concern is touching, but unnecessary. I assure you that I'm fine." He tells her.

Mikoto shakes her head. She knew that he overcompensating. Fugaku was very young for a Clan Head and to lead the Military Police Department. He wanted everyone to know that he had earned both positions and thus, she didn't think that there was a ninja who worked harder.

Really, she did admire his dedication. The man was going to work himself to death at this rate though. Someone had to step in and set him straight.

"At least take a week off. I'm certain that Kenji can manage that long. You need it." She insists.

"You are quite possibly the most stubborn woman that I have ever met. Unfortunately for you, I still have work to do. Good day to you, Lord Hokage, and of course, Kitasha." Fugaku says as he slips off, leaving behind one very miffed Mikoto Uchiha.

"He's completely impossible!" She grumbles as she places her hands on her hips.

"Indeed he is. Well it was a good try, Mikoto. Kitasha, please do keep me abreast of any changes in our newest patient's status." The Hokage says.

Kitasha nods. She was one of the Leaf's medics. She was in her early thirties and had long blonde hair with amber eyes. The woman had a willowy figure and had taken to wearing her ninja headband like a belt.

"Of course, Lord Hokage." Kitasha says as the man heads off.

"When Fugaku ends up in the hospital because he is too stubborn to listen, I'm going to tell him that I told him so." Mikoto mutters.

"Yes, I can't blame you there. Are you staying or will you be heading off as well?" Kitasha asks.

Mikoto sighs as she glances at the slumbering teenager on the bed. There was just something about him that called to her. He looked so fragile. That and he was likely family. It was hard to leave him.

"I should probably be going. I told Kushina that I would have lunch with her, when she returned for her mission." The raven haired woman says.

"Of course. As I told the Third, I'll inform all of you of any changes." The blonde promises.

"Thank you." Mikoto says as she bounds off.

A short while later, Fugaku was back in the police department. He sighs as he rubs his temples. He could feel a stress headache coming on.

There had been a few scuffles between some Uchihas and other Leaf Villagers. Some of them were provoked and some unprovoked. This was getting to be rather irritating. That and now he had to figure out the mystery behind the strange who had her face.

"Sorry about that. I tried to break up the fight, but you know how it is. Everyone has to join in." Minato says as he strides over to Fugaku.

"It's fine. It's not your fault. Thank you for notifying me of the matter though." Fugaku says.

Minato was only sixteen, but already the signs of greatness where there. In some ways, Fugaku envied the younger man's more carefree personality. He wondered how long that would last now that he was a Jonin though.

Jonins went on extremely dangerous missions for the most part. He would be exposed to the full depravity that humanity could sometimes be capable of. Sadly, the Uchiha Patriarch wasn't entirely certain how long that sunny grin would last.

"Any time. Are you alright? You look a little stressed and I doubt it is because of a street brawl." The blue eyed ninja asks.

"Well I have to admit that is rather annoying, but it's nothing that I can't handle. No, there's something else on my mind. Something really strange has happened." Fugaku whispers.

Minato tilts his head to the side. He wasn't sure what had happened, but it had certainly spooked Fugaku. That wasn't something that happened often. Fugaku was an experienced ninja. Very little rattled him.

"What's going on?" Minato asks suddenly serious.

"There was a man who was discovered in our District. He was unconscious from blood and chakra loss. Mikoto brought him to the hospital. He looks like an Uchiha, but neither of us have ever seen him before." Fugaku beings cautiously.

Minato frowns. The Uchiha Clan was a large one. It had to be or else the Sharingan would have died out by now. It was possible that one of them might not have recognized their Clansman, but unlikely that neither of them would.

"That's highly unusual. Tell me more about this stranger." He says.

"There's not really much to tell. He's still unconscious. There is something that disturbs me about him though. He has Mikoto's face. If I didn't know better, I would say that he was her brother. Mikoto's never seen him before though." The elder ninja says.

"Well they say everyone has a twin. That and you Uchihas do tend to look a lot alike. You aren't nearly identical like the Hyugas, but still the family resemblance is powerful." He reasons.

Fugaku shrugs. That was true and logical, but his gut told him that wasn't the only reason. Despite this, he didn't want Minato to think that he was slowly going crazy.

"Maybe you're right." The Uchiha offers.

"Yeah. Well let me know if you need anything. I have to leave for a mission later today. So I should probably get packing." Minato replies.

"Of course. Good luck on your mission." He says as the blonde flits off.

The Uchiha Patriarch sighs once he was alone. He knew that something strange was going on and he was going to figure out what. That much was for damn sure.

Maybe Mikoto was right. Perhaps a vacation would actually be beneficial. If nothing else, he needed to watch this stranger. That and those beautiful doe eyes of hers were lethal. Like a kitten's or a doe's, really. It was impossible to say no to the woman without feeling like a complete barbarian.

"I just hope that she never realizes that fact." He mutters to himself.

Meanwhile Mikoto had caught up with Kushina. The woman was four years her junior, but still her best friend. The two of them were currently at the ramen shop.

"I have never seen someone who eats as much ramen as you before." Mikoto notes with a quiet laugh as she orders a chicken salad.

"It's great! You should really give it a try!" She exclaims.

"I've had it before. It's not bad. I'm sorry that I was a bit late, but we had an incident in the District. I found a collapsed man in my yard." She explains.

Kushina blinks. Mikoto was almost never later. So she had been curious about her friend's late arrival, but she had figured the other woman would tell her the reason eventually. She just hadn't been expecting this.

"Was he alright?" The red head inquires.

"He's lost a lot of blood and chakra. The man is about your age, I think. The strangest thing is that we think he's an Uchiha, but I certainly didn't recognize him. Neither did Fugaku and he knows everyone in our Clan. He kinda has to because he's the Clan Head." Mikoto points out.

The younger ninja nods in agreement. That was rather bizarre. She didn't know Fugaku that well. She just knew that he was on good terms with Minato and was the head of the Uchiha Clan.

From what Mikoto told her though, he was a very traditional patriarch type. Strong, proud, and very stern. Fugaku was very much a law and order ninja. The rules were the rules and that was that.

"Well I'm sure that you guys will figure it out." She says and Mikoto nods in agreement.

A few hours later, Sasuke hears the clock strike. That meant another hour had passed. He was going to have to reveal the fact that he was awake soon.

He didn't want them to know that he had been awake for awhile. It was probably best to let them underestimate him. He wanted to be considered strong, but not strong enough that it would raise eyebrows. He'd just hide some of his more flashy moves for now.

"Ah you're awake! How are you feeling?" Kitasha asks him.

"Weak." Sasuke tells her honestly.

His head was still fuzzy from blood and chakra loss, but he notices that his chakra reserves had replenished somewhat and that a blood transfusion was going. Realistically, he knew that he could have been a lot worse off.

"That's to be expected. What happened?" She asks.

"I was attacked. Someone recognized me as an Uchiha. They ambushed me and used a Paralyzing Jutsu. My attacker wanted my blood and my eyes. He drained me of most of my blood before I was able to free myself. We fought, but I managed to run away. I ended up back in my Clan's District. I took some blood and chakra pills and then passed out. Someone must have found me and brought me here." He explains.

Sasuke knew that he was pushing his luck by being that specific. Unfortunately, he knew that they would want specifics and that was the best he could do on short notice. It would have to work for now.

"I see. Well I'm glad that you are alright. We'll send people to look for your attacker, but they are probably long gone by now." Kitasha says sadly.

"That's alright. I'm just glad to be alive. Who brought me here?" Sasuke asks.

"A woman named Mikoto Uchiha. I assume that she's a relative of yours. Right now, I don't want you to worry about anything. I want you to focus on getting better." She says with a sweet smile.

It was hard for Sasuke to keep his face blank as she mentioned his mother's name. He knew that it was critical not to react to it. If he did, the medic was likely going to tell someone and he didn't want his cover blown.

"Alright and that was kind of her." Sasuke says with a smile.

"It certainly was kind of her. That much I must agree with." Fugaku says as he walks into the hospital room.

"Fugaku, he's still recovering. So don't do anything crazy!" Kitasha warns him.

The older Uchiha simply rolls his eyes good-naturedly at the woman's scolding. Honestly, he wasn't a monster. He wouldn't attack someone who clearly couldn't fight back, but he still wanted his answers.

"I'm not going to do anything crazy. Besides, there are cameras in this room. You'd know the minute that I did. I would like to have some privacy to speak with my Clansman." He says and Kitasha sighs before heading off, giving Sasuke an apologetic look as she goes.

"I understand that you may not be up to a full conversation just yet, but I'm going to try anyway." Fugaku says.

Sasuke nods. He couldn't believe that his father was alive and speaking to him. He had to resist the urge to embrace him, just as he had done with Mikoto.

"I understand. I already told Kitasha what happened." He says.

"Good. I shall ask her then. There's not much use in making you repeat yourself. I suspect that you are an Uchiha. Is that accurate?" He demands.

 _You have no idea,_ Sasuke thinks to himself. His father had no idea how accurate that statement was. Not only was Sasuke an Uchiha, he was also Fugaku's son.

"That's accurate." Sasuke says simply.

"That fact confuses me as I am the leader of our Clan, yet I do not recognize you. I make it my business to know everyone in our Clan personally."

He explains.

"I've been traveling for a long time. The last time that you saw me, I was scarcely more than a Chunin. It's been years. So that isn't unexpected." Sasuke offers.

Sasuke hated that he had to lie to Fugaku. He knew that there was no way around it though. He couldn't exactly tell the man the truth. At best, he'd think Sasuke was crazy and at worst, he'd probably think it was a trick.

"What is your name and what was the nature of this long mission? You're awful young to have received an assignment that lasted for years." He says suspiciously.

"My name is Daisuke. I'm sorry that I can't tell you that. My orders were top secret. The Hokage himself would deny that I even went on the mission." Sasuke tells him.

Fugaku's eyes narrow. Sasuke knew that his father was debating whether or not he should believe him. Sasuke could only hope that he would.

Daisuke had been a cousin of his mother's. The man had left for a mission when he was a Chunin and never came back. It was plausible. Hopefully, he looked enough like his deceased relative to make such a claim believable.

"I'm not certain if I believe your story, but it is possible that may be the case. In any event, I do believe that you are an Uchiha by blood. That means you are entitled to the privileges. You will be offered the chance to live in our District with a home of your own. You'll be treated like any other Clan member. That is until or unless you prove yourself to be untrustworthy. Can you activate your Sharingan?" He asks.

Sasuke nods. He knew why his father was offering him a place to stay. He didn't want to have an Uchiha out wandering around who could be kidnapped, especially if that Uchiha had already activated their Sharingan.

"I can." Sasuke says and he activates his basic Sharingan.

His Rinnegan no longer existed in this time, but that didn't concern him at the moment. He hadn't received the power transfer yet. His DNA was still intact though. That meant that he could activate the Sharingan. Unfortunately, he wasn't entirely certain if he still had the Mangekyo or not. He would have to find that out later.

"Good. I shall make the announcement that Daisuke Uchiha has returned. When you are well, I'll take you back to the District." Fugaku says.

"Alright." Sasuke agrees.

"Get some rest. You're going to need it. The women are likely going to motherhen you half to death." The elder Uchiha warns him.

Sasuke smiles. That was fine with him. He was just happy to have his family back.

"It's been so long, that I can't say that I'll mind that." He answers honestly.

"You'll come to regret those words. I know these women. Mother hens, the lot of them. Goodnight." Fugaku says as he heads off and turns off the light.

Sasuke sighs once he was alone. His father was suspicious of him, but he hadn't called him out on his lies. That was something. Now he just had to figure out how to prevent the Massacre. That was easier said than done, but he was determined to find a way.

"I won't let it happen again." He whispers to himself as he falls asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

A few days had passed since Sasuke arrived back in the past, though the young Uchiha wasn't sure if that meant anything. He had no way to tell if time moved the same way in this era as it did in his. Was two days here, two days back in the present? The raven haired ninja didn't know and to an alarming degree, he didn't care.

"When you're well again, I've already arranged an apartment for you in the District. I doubt that you want to live with your parents anymore. You've been away for years and you're a grown man now. I expect you'll be wanting your privacy." Mikoto says with a kind smile and a slight mischievous twinkle in her eye.

His mother was alive. She was alive and talking to him. Who cared if he had been gone from the present for a couple days? He had wanted to be reunited with his family for years. Sasuke just never expected to see them again while he was still alive.

"Thank you. That was kind of you and I appreciate the gesture." Sasuke tells her with a smile of his own.

He grimaces immediately afterwards. The Leaf's hospital was still top notch, even in this era. That didn't change the fact that he had nearly died though. It had taken so much chakra and blood to activate this Jutsu, but it was worth it.

"You're welcome. If you want, I can speak with the medics. They'll probably give you more pain medication, if you ask." She informs him.

"No. That's alright. I think the worst of it is probably over anyway." Sasuke tells her.

In reality, he just didn't want to let her out of his sight. His mother was almost exactly as he remembered her. Only her age seemed to have changed at all.

That was apparently the case for his father as well. Fugaku was a smart man. He knew that something was going on, but not what. If his father had his way, Sasuke was almost positive that he wouldn't be going back to the Uchiha District.

"Alright. I'm sure that everyone will be so glad to see you, especially the women of our Clan." She says with a giggle.

It was out of his hands though. He was an Uchiha. The genetic testing would confirm that. As Fugaku said, that afforded him certain rights. Rights that even the Clan Head wouldn't dare take away without a good reason. Being suspicious without any proof, wouldn't cut it.

"I'll be glad to see them as well." Sasuke replies.

Wait. Had his mother just hit on him or was she just being nice? Sasuke couldn't tell. That was mildly disturbing. Then again, if his father was twenty-five, that meant Mikoto was twenty. He was 17.

Mikoto didn't know that he was her son. He was only three years younger and she probably thought he was a Chunin. In her eyes, he was an adult. An adult that was related to her, but people from the same Clan married all the time. You just needed at least a degree or two of separation for it to be considered "safe enough" to have children.

"It's still so good to see you cousin. I can't believe how much we look alike now. We could pass for brother and sister." She muses.

Oh thank God. Mikoto was just being friendly. She was trying to reestablish a familial bond, not form a romantic one. If that hadn't been the case, things would have gotten extremely awkward.

"Well it has been several years." Sasuke says diplomatically.

His father was twenty-five. That meant that Itachi hadn't even been born yet. Sasuke had gone back much further in time than he had originally intended. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that yet.

"Mhm and don't worry about Fugaku. He can appear rather stern at times. Most people think of him as a grizzly bear. Underneath it all though, he's really an overgrown teddy bear." She assures him.

Were his parents even together in this year? Sasuke wasn't sure. It was two years before the birth of Itachi. He had to subtract nine months from that. This was all so confusing.

It was possible that they weren't together yet. Damn. He really needed to remember what his parents anniversary was. Sasuke just couldn't though. He had only been seven at the time of their deaths. Details like anniversary dates, weren't something that children tended to remember.

"A lion might be more accurate. He's just protecting his pride in his own way." Sasuke says.

As a small child, he would have done anything to get his father's attention. He didn't fully understand what it meant to be a Clan Leader. Fugaku Uchiha was not only the Uchiha Clan's leader, he had been in charge of the military police force. Quite simply, he had been a busy man.

In addition to all that, Fugaku had apparently been planning a coup. No wonder he hadn't had much time to play with Sasuke or to train with him. His father had likely been exhausted and worried about the future of their Clan. Hindsight really was twenty-twenty.

"Yes, I guess lion might be more accurate. He lacks Madara's mane though." She laughs.

That was interesting. Mikoto apparently knew who Madara was. Sasuke hadn't known before the war. Then again, he had been seven when his family died. That wasn't a lot of time to go through the family history.

Who could possibly explain Madara Uchiha to a child of that age? Sasuke scarcely understood him at 17. He was just glad that he didn't have to deal with his formidable ancestor anymore. The war was over and it might never begin in this era, if he had anything to say about it.

"The idea of Fugaku with Madara's hair really disturbs me." He confesses.

"Me too. Thank goodness that is no longer the style. I don't think that I'm a patient enough woman to handle a man who spends more time on his hair than I do." She says with a wink.

"So you handle him then? Is he your husband?" Sasuke asks.

He was going to have to be blunt. He didn't see a wedding ring on her finger, but that didn't mean much. Ninjas sometimes would leave their rings at home while they were on duty for good reason. (It wasn't entirely uncommon to lose things like jewelry while you were at in the field. )

Mikoto feels her face burn red with embarrassment. It was a natural question. It was just that the other man had phrased it in a way that brought to mind some rather forbidden images.

"I handle him alright. I'm not his wife. At the moment, Fugaku is a man who is married to his work. It's a good thing for our Clan as whole, but I do worry for him." She admits.

"That's why you told him to take a vacation." Sasuke says.

"You heard that? You were pretending to be asleep, weren't you?" The dark haired beauty asks.

Sasuke was surprised that her voice wasn't at all accusing. It didn't sound like she was angry. Most people would have been. Then again, she was a ninja. A ninja must see through deception.

"A little. I didn't know where I was at first and wanted to make sure that it was safe to "wake up." I didn't mean anything malicious by it." He says quickly.

"I believe you. It's alright. I would have done the same thing." Mikoto assures him and Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief.

"Oh good. So how long do you think I'll be here?" The raven haired man dares himself to ask.

Mikoto tilts her head to the side as she considers that question. Honestly, she didn't know. The boy seemed to be healing remarkably quickly. It was something of a miracle really.

"At the rate you're going, maybe two or three days. Most people would have been laid up for at least two or three weeks. That easily could have been months. I really don't know how you do it. Your healing rates are exceptional. Perhaps that's why you were given such a top secret mission." The Uchiha woman observes.

Sasuke found himself smiling, despite the strange situation. His mother was clever. She was subtly probing and throwing in some buttering up for good measure. If Fugaku believed in the vinegar approach, Mikoto was the honey.

"Nice try. I still can't tell you. I'm sorry. Hokage's orders." He replies.

"Mmm well you can't blame a girl for trying. I should get going though. I have guard duty today." She says with a stretch as she heads towards the door.

"Tomorrow?" He asks with a whisper.

Mikoto nods. There was something just incredibly vulnerable about the man. She tries to pawn it off to the fact that he was three years her junior and had been away from home for years. He probably just missed his family.

That's what she kept trying to tell herself. She knew that was certainly a part of it, but it was far from the whole story. God only knows what that man had seen on his mission.

"Of course. You should get some rest." She says with a smile as she heads off.

Sasuke smiles. She'd be back tomorrow. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do about his more suspicious father, but at least his mother would be back.

Meanwhile in the Uchiha District, Fugaku sighs. He was having a meeting with the Elders and other high ranking members of their Clan. The meeting concerned the stranger.

"I've looked over the records. There was a man by the name of Daisuke who left on a mission a couple years ago. He never said what the nature of the mission was. He's the same age as this Daisuke. If the genetic testing shows that he's an Uchiha, we really don't have a reason not to believe him." An elderly woman says.

The Uchiha Patriarch nods and frowns. That was all true, but there was something was off about that boy. Why did he look so much like Mikoto?

Yes, they were from the same Clan. Could that really explain such a striking resemblance though? Cousins? He found that difficult to believe, but it was the only logical explanation at the moment.

"What's your opinion on the matter?" Kenji asks his son.

"I think that something strange is going on, but thus far his story checks out. I will be watching the boy closely though." Fugaku replies.

Kenji nods. If his son was suspicious of the newcomer, he likely had good reason to be. Fugaku had good instincts. That was why he didn't mind leaving the man in charge of their Clan, despite the fact that he was still young for a Clan Head.

"That's probably a wise idea. It will likely be awhile before he is well enough to move back into the District though. From my understanding, he was in very bad shape when Mikoto found him." The elder Uchiha man observes.

Fugaku shakes his head. It was unnerving really. Daisuke was recovering much sooner than should have been reasonably expected. It didn't make any sense to him.

It was just one more thing that was odd about the boy. That and it was difficult to stay suspicious of him, when he kept looking at him and seeing Mikoto's eyes. Disturbing.

"Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?" Fugaku inquires.

"I suppose all we can do is wait. If he's an Uchiha, we have to accept him into the District. You could always speak to Mikoto about it. She's been going to the hospital every day since she found him." Kitzu says.

Kitzu was Kenji's brother. The two men were identical twins and that could be quite chaotic at times. You wouldn't be able to tell who was who until they opened their mouth.

Kenji was the more playful of the two brothers. One could never be entirely certain what was going to come out of his mouth next. Kitzu was more like Fugaku. He was a traditional and proud ninja. Despite their differences in demeanor, the Uchiha Twins were still close even in their old age. Inseparable really.

"Yes, I suppose I'll do that." Fugaku says with a sigh.

Mikoto was very much like a cat in many ways. She was beautiful graceful, strong, and infuriatingly stubborn. If the woman didn't want to do something, she wasn't going to do it. Most of the time that wasn't an issue because she was a sweet kitten, nine times out of ten. It was that other time that you had to worry about.

How the elusive cat had ended up being friend with the fiery fox known as Kushina was beyond him. Then again, most people would never have expected for him to be friends with Minato. The man was his opposite in every way. Maybe in a strange way, the friendships did make sense.

"In that case, I think I'll be off to her home. She'll likely be back from guard duty in a few hours." He states as he heads off.

A few hours later, Mikoto returns from guard duty and walks back to her home. She blinks when she saw someone was waiting for her. Fugaku.

Oh boy. This wasn't going to be pretty. He probably wanted to know about Daisuke. That had to be it. He'd certainly never visited her for a social call.

"I know what you want and I'm afraid that I don't have much that I can tell you that you'll find useful." The dark beauty warns him.

"I'd still like to discuss the matter anyway. You may not find anything he told you useful, but one never knows." He says.

"Alright. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Mikoto says simply as she takes out her key and opens the door for them.

Fugaku shakes his head. While the woman was rather well known for her culinary skills, he wasn't here for a meal. He was here to find out if Daisuke was a threat to their Clan.

"No. Thank you. What did he tell you?" He asks.

Mikoto just shakes her head in amusement. Fugaku had a laser like focus on whatever task he had taken up at the moment. Tunnel vision, she decides.

"Nothing that you don't already know. Mostly, he was just content to listen to me. I found him an apartment to stay in for when he gets better." She says.

"Mikoto, don't tell me that you're developing feelings for him." Fugaku says.

She raises an eyebrow. That had certainly come out of left field. Daisuke was an Uchiha. She was sure of it. It was just a formality to wait for the genetic results and for him to be well enough to leave the hospital. Of course, she was going to get him a place to stay. It didn't mean she was in love with him.

"Of course, not. He's my cousin. That and he's a bit young for my tastes. Was that jealousy that I detected in your voice?" She inquires as she pours herself some tea.

Mikoto wasn't an idiot. She knew that she was now treading on thin ice here. She had essentially poked a stick at a bear. She really didn't know whether he'd be amused by her forwardness or angry.

"That's good to know. We still don't know if this man is who he claims to be and that was not jealousy. I'm only concerned for your safety." He protests.

"Of course. You were only being a good Clan Head and trying to protect me." Mikoto says with teasing smile as she sips on her tea.

"Exactly. I don't want anything to happen to you…or anyone else in our Clan. Do you really believe that we can trust him?" Fugaku asks.

Mikoto pauses as she considers her answer. Gone was her playful and slightly wary mood. Now it was replaced by something else entirely. Seriousness.

"He's given me no reason not to trust him. I can't explain it, but I feel as though I know him somehow." She whispers.

 _Probably because you are essentially looking into a mirror,_ Fugaku thinks to himself. Naturally, he couldn't say that. He didn't want to alarm the woman.

"Noted. Tell me everything that the two of you discussed though. We have to be thorough. There is no reason to leave such things to chance." He tells her.

"I recorded our conversations." Mikoto informs him as she slides the recorder into his hand.

Fugaku smiles. She really was a smart woman. If only, she would take his position more seriously.

"Thank you." He says.

"Mhm. Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" She asks.

"No, thank you. I know enough about your cooking to realize that accepting such an offer is stupid. I have no desire to grow fat off of your sweets." He says firmly.

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement. Somewhere in there, there was a compliment. She was sure of it.

"All things in moderation. There's no harm in indulging yourself now and then. Do I look fat to you?" She asks.

"That's not a fair question. No good ever comes of a man answering that. No, of course not. I'm not certain why you would even feel the need to ask such thing, in all honesty." Fugaku replies.

"Because you said you couldn't have any of my cooking because you'd grow fat. Obviously, I haven't and I eat my cooking all the time. It's simple logic." She tells him.

Fugaku chuckles. She was a sassy kitten. If anyone else would have dared to speak to him so informally, he likely would have introduced them to a fireball. Not Mikoto though. He couldn't find it in him to discipline her and sadly, it looked like she was quickly realizing that.

"Well I suppose one bite won't hurt me, when you put it that way." He says.

"That's better." Mikoto says smugly and Fugaku wonders what the Hell he just got himself into.

Elsewhere Minato makes his way to the hospital. Fugaku had said that this man looked a lot like Mikoto. Curiosity was getting the better of him. He had to sneak a peek!

The blonde sneaks in and glances into the room. What he saw made his jaw drop. Fugaku wasn't kidding. The boy was the spitting image of Mikoto.

"She doesn't have a brother and he's way too old to be her son." He muses to himself.

"It's not nice to spy on people." Sasuke says and Minato rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I was just curious. I'm Minato Namikaze." He introduces himself as he walks into the room.

Sasuke glances at the man who would one day become Fourth Hokage and Naruto's father. If he had lived, would the Uchiha Massacre had been stopped? Maybe he should try to safe Naruto's parents while he was here.

It really was the least that he could do for the loser. Naruto had risked everything to save him time and time again. For once, he could help the blonde. Well he could help two blondes in this case.

"I'm Daisuke Uchiha." Sasuke says simply.

"So I've been told. How are you feeling? From what I hear, you were pretty banged up." He asks kindly.

"I've been better. I expect I'll be out of the hospital shortly though. That will be a relief. The female medics have been offering to give me sponge baths a little too enthusiastically for my tastes." Sasuke admits.

If he could keep the conversation casual and humorous, maybe the Fourth wouldn't realize what was going on. Naruto's father wouldn't have become Hokage, if he was stupid. He and Fugaku were most likely his biggest obstacles to success.

"Most men would be rather happy about that. Do you already have someone special in your life?" Minato asks curiously.

"I don't have a lover. I've been busy with a long-term mission. There simply wasn't any time and I haven't really met anyone that I'm compatible with." He says.

"It's not always about compatibility. Kushina and I couldn't be anymore different than each other, but we still love each other more than I can say. That and look at Mikoto and Fugaku. Oh they're both too stubborn to say it out loud, but I can tell. Anyone could tell, if they saw the way they look each other." Minato says cheerfully.

Sasuke suddenly realizes that Minato was playing the same game he was. The other man was trying to be friendly and get him to lower his guard. He was hoping that Sasuke would slip up and reveal something important.

"So you think that they like each other then?" He asks.

"I'm positive of it. That would certainly be a case of opposites attracting. Welcome back to the Leaf, by the way. You must be so happy to be home." He continues.

"You have no idea." Sasuke replies with a smile.

He meant it too. For the first time in a long time, he was home. Sasuke's family was alive and he was going to live with them. He had a chance to rewrite history for the better. How many people could honestly say that?

"Well I hope you get better soon and perhaps when you do, I can show you around the village again." He tells him.

"I'd like that." Sasuke says with a smile.

He didn't exist yet. Sasuke no longer had the Rinnegan. He wouldn't be able to return to his family until the time lines matched up. Sasuke had a theory that once he was conceived, he would return to his time. A drastically altered one. Whether or not he would remember any of this, he didn't know.

Sasuke didn't really care. He just had to save them. He wasn't going to allow it to happen again. If that mean he had to spend years in this timeline, so be it.

"Wonderful. Well I'll let you get back to resting." Minato says as he heads off.

The raven haired man watches as Naruto's father leaves. They were so alike and yet so different. They were both blue eyed blondes and wanted to Hokage. Both of them were endlessly optimist, but Minato was well certainly less hyper and loud.

"Amazing how some things never change." He muses to himself.

He could do this. Somehow he was going to save his family. Sasuke just wasn't sure how yet.

The obvious first choice was to kill Danzo. That would be difficult though. People would notice. He'd have to find a way to make it look like an accident. He pushes that into the Emergency Plan Column for now.

"Only as a last resort." He whispers to himself.

Surely, there had to be another way. If he could prevent the Fourth from dying, that might do it. Minato was clearly friends with his father. Surely, he wouldn't condone a genocide.

That was a bit iffy though. Maybe he would have. Maybe Minato was like Itachi and would put the needs of the Leaf over his friendship with Fugaku. No, that wasn't a safe bet.

"I'll have to find a way to convince them not to start a coup or to improve relations between my Clan and the rest of the village." He mutters.

Yes, that was it. He had to find a way to make things better. Now, he knew what he had to do. Unfortunately, Sasuke had no idea as to how he was going to accomplish that feat. He would think of something though.

Sasuke had successfully returned to the past. The hard part was over. Now, he just had to figure out where to move his chess pieces and how to win the game. Thankfully, he was a genius. He could do this. Well at least he hoped that he could.


	3. Chapter 3

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. The "older generation" is also going to be introduced more and more as the story goes on. I tried my best to estimate how old everyone was during this time period. It may not be completely accurate, but hopefully you will all enjoy the story anyway.

 **Chapter Notation:** The Uchihas were known for having ninja cats. So while Tsuki isn't cannon, it's plausible that Mikoto could have had her own ninja cat. I am trying to keep the older generation in character, but I did get fairly creative with their backstories. So things may not always line up 100% with cannon.

Chapter 3

A few days pass and Sasuke eventually returns to the Uchiha District with Mikoto. He could only hope that he wasn't gaping like a fish. The District was so _**alive**_! Sasuke had all but forgotten what it was like before the Massacre.

"Catch!" One of the Uchiha children calls out in the middle of the street as they toss a ball at their friend.

Sasuke didn't recognize them. He could only assume that this had been some distant relative. They must have died of natural causes, on a mission, or on that horrible night that still haunted his dreams.

It was such a surreal experience. Everywhere he looked, he was looking at people who had been dead for years. Part of him couldn't help but wonder, if this was really happening or was this all just a dream?

"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Mikoto asks in concern.

"I'm fine. I suppose that I'm still a little disoriented from all the chakra and blood transfusions. That's all." Sasuke lies seamlessly and smiles at his mother.

He hated lying to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth. Sasuke wasn't entirely certain that she would have believed him, if he did tell her. For now, he was just happy to enjoy the sight of a thriving Uchiha District with his mother.

"Oh. Let's get you to your apartment. You should probably rest." Mikoto says kindly as she leads him off towards one of the apartments.

Sasuke tilts his head. He didn't remember this, but he was getting a rather distinct impression that these apartments were designed for single people. They were smaller than most of the other buildings and closer together. That didn't really bother him though.

It only made sense that someone living on their own would have a smaller home. People with children likely wanted larger yards and gardens than those without. That and he'd certainly made do in far worse accommodations.

"You're number 17." The dark haired beauty explains.

"Alright. Is there any difference between the apartments?" Sasuke asks.

"Not really. They are all identical because they were built at the same time because it made their construction easier. Though obviously, you can add your own personal touches to it. You can do whatever you like to the inside and outside." His mother answers him as she inserts a key into the door and opens it.

Sasuke nods gratefully and darts inside. Hmm. Well it wasn't bad. There was a living room, a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms, and a laundry room. At the very least, it was several steps up from the Sound Village.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Sasuke says with a smile.

"I'm in apartment number seven. If you need anything, just knock on my door." She says as she heads off.

"Alright." Sasuke calls out, just as Mikoto was leaving.

Once she was gone, Sasuke sighs and sits on the couch. He didn't know how he was going to do this. He didn't have the Rinnegan anymore. So he couldn't go back to his own time naturally.

He could only hope that he'd be sent back to his proper timeline, when his younger self was conceived. Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that would happen. The Uchiha was truly in uncharted territory.

"I guess that I might as well get some sleep." Sasuke says after awhile and heads to his bedroom.

He quickly flops onto his bed. Sasuke didn't even bother changing out of his clothes. He just drags the blankets over him and a few minutes later, he was out like light.

Meanwhile four children were at the training grounds, late at night. One was a boy with silver hair. Another was a boy with busy eyebrows. The third was a child with chocolate brown eyes named Asuma. Finally, there was a ruby eyed girl named Kurenai who was practicing her Genjutsu.

"I never really saw the point in Genjutsu. I prefer to win a fair fight. Man to Man!" Might Guy exclaims.

He was only seven years old. So was his best friend, Kakashi. The two of them trained together every single day.

Today was special though. They had shown up at their usual training place and stumbled upon Asuma and Kurenai. Naturally, they had asked their slightly older peers to train with them. The two other children agreed and now here they were hours later, debating the merits and demerits of Genjutsu.

"Guy there are three kinds of jutsus. They all have their benefits and drawbacks." Kakashi says knowledgably.

"Taijutsu is still the best though." He says and Asuma just shakes his head in amusement.

He really hoped that Kurenai wasn't too annoyed by it. Guy was nice, but he was very set in his ways. For whatever reason, the other boy loved Taijutsu best and that was that.

"Don't worry. I'm not mad. I'm sure that Guy is about to challenge Kakashi to another contest and they'll forget all about the debate anyway." Kurenai says with a giggle.

Asuma nods in agreement. Those two were always competing over something. Nothing was too important or too minor for them to make a contest over. It was both amazing and a little disturbing, really.

"I bet that Kakashi wins this one." The young girl says.

"No way. Guy's totally got this one. What are we betting this time?" He asks.

Kurenai pauses as she considers this. Hmm. That was a good question. What would be a good agreement for their bet?

"Loser has to do the other's chores for a week." She says with a smile.

"You're on!" Asuma agrees as he watches their friends bicker.

True to form, it didn't take them long to start arguing. It looked like Guy and Kakashi were about to challenge each other to something, when they were interrupted by a team of Ninjas.

"Hey, kids. Stop fighting." Inoichi says.

Inoichi was a nineteen year old Leaf Ninja. His teammates were Shikaku and Choza. Their Clans had worked together for generations and it wasn't unusual for them to be assigned to the same squad, if they happened to attend the Academy together. Thus their team was composed of a Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clan Member.

Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma immediately stop what they were doing. They had been caught by not one, but three experienced ninjas bickering like the children they were. That was embarrassing.

"What a drag. They're just playing around. We should get going." Shikaku says.

"Probably a good idea. It'd be bad manners to keep the Third waiting." Choza says.

"You kids have fun. We're on important official ninja business." Inoichi says with a wink as the three of them head off.

The four children look at each other, once the squad was gone. Suddenly, they all smirk and nod their heads. Important official ninja business sounded exciting. Far more exciting than the arm wrestling contest that Guy was likely about to challenge Kakashi to.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Asuma says with a grin.

"I think that we should follow them and see what they are up to." Kurenai replies with a smile.

"Yes! That's the power of youth!" Guy exclaims excitedly.

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement as he smacks his forehead. Guy was his best friend. There was no one more loyal and brave than him, but he could be strange sometimes. For the life of him, he couldn't understand the other boy's obsession with youth.

"Alright. We'll have to be careful though. They obviously aren't taking the mission too seriously, if they're joking around about it. They wouldn't have told us that they were on a mission, if it was dangerous. Most likely, that means they are going to fetch someone for the Hokage." The silver haired boy reasons.

Kurenai pauses as she considers this. After a moment or two, she nods in agreement. Kakashi was probably right.

"That's probably true. We need to be careful though. Even if their guard is lower than usual, they are still Jonin. Legendary ninjas. They might sense us." She points out.

"Don't worry about any, Kurenai. I'm sure that we can handle it." Guy says as he flashes her blindingly bright smile.

Asuma immediately shuts his eyes. He had no idea how the other boy could get his teeth to be that bright. It was almost like a Blinding Jutsu or something!

"Let's go. They can't have gone too far." He whispers and the other children nod as they take off after the ninja squad.

Back in the Uchiha District, Mikoto says as she heads into her apartment and sits in front of her vanity. The Uchiha woman was currently brushing her long hair. It was a mindless and soothing task. One that was easily completed as she pondered the latest events.

"Daisuke is back." She whispers to herself.

She hadn't seen her cousin in years. The raven haired woman was still shocked that such a young ninja had been given that long of a mission. That and he looked so much like her. Had their family resemblance always been that strong and she just hadn't noticed?

"Well it has been a few years. That's probably why." She muses.

Fugaku was certainly suspicious of him though. Mikoto couldn't really see why. The boy hadn't done anything. His only "crime" was not being immediately recognizable and coming back with injuries. He seemed friendly enough.

"That man is far too suspicious, even for a ninja. Daisuke is an Uchiha. He can be trusted." She says as she leans down and smiles as she pets her ninja cat.

Tsuki was a ninja cat. Her name meant Moon and with her beautiful moonlight colored fur, she lived up to it. She was a proud ninja cat and far too intelligent to be considered a pet, but she lived with Mikoto.

Most people would have considered the feline, Mikoto's housecat. That couldn't be further from the truth. That didn't matter though. Tsuki's claws would quickly correct that misconception anyway.

"I keep telling you that it's nothing some catnip, milk, fish, and a nice belly rub can't fix." Tsuki insists.

Mikoto chuckles as she scoops up the ninja cat and pets her. She really wished it was that simple. If only one could get Fugaku Uchiha to relax by giving him some catnip.

"Mmm it's not that easy. Believe me, I have tried all of the above. Well except for the catnip. That doesn't have the same effect on humans. That and I don't think he wants any belly rubs." She notes in amusement.

"Every male wants a belly rub." Tsuki says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Mikoto just smiles. She really wished that people were as easily pleased as cats. Honestly, she could only imagine the older ninja's reaction if she tried out Tsuki's advice.

"I suppose that's true. It's just he's not exactly the most approachable sort." She reasons as she remembered how she met him for the first time.

"C _ome on Uchiha Princess, let's see those Demon Eyes of yours!" A Chunin yelled at Mikoto._

 _He wasn't alone. The fifteen year old was with his team. Mikoto was only twelve. She was straight out of the Academy. She was also alone._

 _The Genin had been on her way back to the Uchiha District when the group ambushed her. Walking home alone, had probably been a mistake. Her only excuse was that she didn't think anyone would try to start something with her for just walking home and this close to the Uchiha District._

 _"I'm no princess and I'm not activating my Sharingan for your amusement. Goodnight." She said as she tried to walk by him._

 _"What? Can't you do it? Maybe you are a late bloomer! A baby demon!" A second Chunin said._

 _Mikoto clenched her fists. These idiots probably thought that every Uchiha was born with their Sharingan activated. It varied from Uchiha to Uchiha. She was most certainly NOT a late bloomer either. She could activate her Sharingan, she just wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing her eyes turn red._

 _None of that mattered though. She wasn't going to take the bait. Things between her Clan and the rest of the village were bad enough. She didn't need to make them worse by giving these children what they deserved._

 _In her mind, it didn't matter that they were older. The fact that they were Chunin didn't worry her either. She was barely a Genin, but sheprobably could have taken them._

 _It wouldn't have been easy, but Mikoto was reasonably confident that she could have done it. She knew better though. That would be giving them exactly what they wanted. They wanted an excuse to run to the Hokage and tell him all about how violent Uchihas were. She wasn't going to give them one._

 _"You aren't worthy of seeing my Demon Eyes." She retorted._

 _The young girl tried once more to dart by them. That didn't work. It was three against one. Suddenly, they were on her in a flash._

 _Mikoto grunts in pain when someone's fist connected with her cheek and another punched her, just underneath her ribs. She fought back though. The Uchiha girl couldn't even activate a Jutsu. She was too busy trying to block the numerous attacks coming at her._

 _"FIREBALL JUTSU: PHONEIX FLOWER STYLE!" She heard a masculine voice call out._

 _An intense blaze of fire came at them. The Chunin immediately jumped off of her. They didn't want to be burned to a crisp. It was understandable really._

 _"Damn it. It's another one." A Chunin said._

 _"Mera, we had better go. This one is a Jonin." His friend said._

 _"Pft. He might be a Jonin, but it's still three against one. Well three against the two. The baby demon isn't going to do anything though. She ain't even got the freaky eyes yet." Mera replied._

 _Mikoto got up and looked at the Jonin who had intervened. He was definitely an Uchiha. She had seen him around in the District, but hadn't spoken to him before._

 _That wasn't unusual. There were hundreds of Uchihas in the District. It would be almost impossible to know every one of them well. That and he was likely five years her senior. It was only logical that they wouldn't spend much time with each other._

 _"That "baby demon" as you called her, is fully capable of activating her Sharingan. She's just too kind to give you the beating that you deserve. Unfortunately for you, I'm not her." Fugaku said as he activated his Sharingan._

 _Mikoto watches as the older Uchiha proceeded to deliver a swift kick to each of them in the stomach. The Chunin all went flying back several feet. One landed against a tree. Another into a wall and the third fell._

 _CRACK! CRUNCH! BAM! She was far from a medic, but the young girl recognized the sounds of bones being broken. By her estimates, the Chunin would all have at least one broken bone by the end of the encounter._

 _"I could have killed all of you with ease. You're no more significant than insects. Perhaps you should remember when you pick a fight with a "baby demon," you're challenging all of us. Not all of us are as merciful as her. Now go!" He thundered at them and the ninjas took off running, clutching their injuries._

 _"Thank you." Mikoto whispered as she cautiously approached her clansman._

 _"You were fully capable of dealing with them. Allowing them to taunt you, won't make things better. Are you alright?" He asked._

 _"I'm fine. A few bruises, but nothing that won't be better in a day or two. I just didn't want to make things worse." She mumbled._

 _Fugaku sighed and touched her badly bruised cheek. Mikoto tried not to flinch, but she knew that she probably did. She saw that irritated look in his eye. She half wondered, if he was going to hunt them down later._

 _"It'd be difficult for things to get much worse. Come on. Let's have one of our Clan Medics have a look at you. Taking you to the regular hospital would cause too many questions. I imagine you would prefer it, if that incident didn't become public knowledge." He said._

 _"Yes, I would prefer that." She whispered and Fugaku nodded as he took her back to the District for some treatment._

She supposed Daisuke was right. Fugaku was more of a lion than anything. He could come off as rather intimidating to put it mildly, but he was just trying to protect his pride in the best way he knew how.

Meanwhile the three Jonin quickly made their way to the Uchiha District. Mikoto had registered Daisuke's new apartment, as was customary. So the Third had known where the young Uchiha was staying and shared that information with the team.

"Looks like we're here." Inoichi says as he knocks on the door of the apartment.

"What a drag. Hopefully, he won't make a big fuss. I mean we are asking him to go see the Hokage in the middle of the night." Shikaku points out.

"I guess we'll see what happens." Choza observes.

Almost immediately, Sasuke flings himself out of bed and quickly goes to open the door. He blinks when he saw three men standing there. He vaguely recognized them as Ino's, Shikamaru's, and Choji's fathers. What were they doing in the Uchiha District though? They certainly weren't Uchihas.

"Ah good. You're awake. Sorry about this, but the Hokage wants to see you immediately." Inoichi says.

Sasuke blinks. That couldn't be good. Was it possible that the Third suspected something was up. That's when he started mentally kicking himself for his stupidity.

Of course, the Hokage was going to want to speak with him. He had told Mikoto that the Hokage assigned him a top secret mission. Sarutobi would certainly know that was a lie.

"Alright." Sasuke says after hesitating for a moment, before going off with the three of them.

He didn't have a choice. If he didn't go, Sasuke would look even more suspicious. Maybe he could come up with a reasonable excuse. Maybe he could reason for him. Maybe he would just have to run. Sasuke didn't know what he was going to do, but resisting them would have been stupid.

The Uchiha knew that he easily could have taken them, but that would have only stalled for time. Sooner or later, someone would come looking for them. In the long run, that would have just made matters worse.

"This shouldn't take long." Choza says as they make their way back to the Hokage's Office.

Once they were there, the Third Hokage thanks them and instructs the team to leave. Thankfully, they did so quietly. Sasuke was grateful. He really didn't want to have an audience for his "discussion" with this God of Ninjas.

"Please have a seat. You and I have much to discuss." Sarutobi says and Sasuke sits down.

"You wished to see me?" Sasuke asks, feigning ignorance.

"Oh yes, I did very much. Fugaku claims that you said that I gave you a top secret mission. I never assigned you such a mission. I know it has been years, but I didn't believe you were actually Daisuke. You're clearly an Uchiha, but you aren't him. So I had some more detailed genetic testing done." He says and Sasuke pales considerably.

Damn it! He knew! He knew! How was he going to explain this?! His father wouldn't even have been ten when he was "born" in this timeline. Neither of his parents was old enough to have a teenage son!

"Imagine my surprise when the results for your parentage came back. Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. Neither of them is old enough to have sired a child your age, but DNA doesn't lie. I'm certain that you can understand my confusion." He continues on.

"Did you tell them?" Sasuke whispers.

"No. I wanted an explanation before I took action. You're only perhaps three years younger than Mikoto. There is no conceivable natural way that she could be your mother. Even Fugaku would have been eight, when you were born. He's also far too young. So I would like to know what is going on. I have my theories. I would like to give you a chance to explain though." The elderly man explains.

Sarutobi had been old by the time of his death, but he wasn't young in this timeline either. He was certainly Sasuke's elder and Fugaku's elder by a considerable number of years. The Third Hokage was still young enough to fight well in combat though. He would be a formidable opponent.

Of course, Sasuke was confident that he would emerge victorious. He had helped to defeat Madara Uchiha and while Sarutobi was powerful, he wasn't on Madara's level. Despite that, he knew that it would be unwise to kill the Hokage. Such an action couldn't be kept a secret and it would completely blow his cover.

"It's a very long story." He says with a sigh.

"I have all the time in the world." Sarutobi says kindly as he pours them each a glass of sake.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. Did the Third Hokage think that sake would loosen his tongue? He had done a lot of horrible things, but he had never really fallen for the Three Vices, as Kabuto called them.

Alcohol, gambling, and women. Those were the three things that had brought down many a powerful ninja. No matter how strong a man was, he was generally vulnerable to at least one of the three.

"I am their son. I just haven't been born yet." Sasuke whispers as he takes the sake.

He rarely drink. Sasuke never bothered with gambling. He had been too focused on avenging his Clan and redemption to bother with women as of yet. The few that had gotten to know relatively well were of no interest to him. At least when it came to those vices, Sasuke was "clean." He had committed many sins, but those were not amongst them.

"Forgive me. How is that possible? You seem to be sitting right in front of me. Clearly, you have been born." The Hokage points out.

"You have the test results. I can't deny that they are my parents. I guess there is no point in lying to you. If you promise not to tell them who I am, I'll tell you the truth." He says.

He didn't really have any other viable alternatives. Killing the Third Hokage would disrupt the timeline in ways that he couldn't fully imagine. It might actually speed up the timeline of the Massacre, for all he knew. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Sasuke could try running, but eventually they'd find him. He didn't want to have to go on a killing spree and that was no way to prevent the tragedy either. The Uchiha had no other realistic options, save for honesty.

"Well what I decide to do, depends on what you tell me." The Hokage replies.

"Fair enough. Time travel. I'll spare you the complicated details. Essentially, I went back in time. I only had enough chakra to do this once. I can't return to my time of my own free will anymore." He admits.

Sarutobi blinks. Whatever explanation that he had been expecting, that certainly wasn't it. Time Travel? Everyone had thought about the subject at least once in their lives, but no one had ever pulled it off before. (Well at least not to his knowledge.)

"You must have come here for an important purpose. Why else would you be willing to take such a risk?" Sarutobi inquires.

"You're right. It's an important purpose. I don't want to tell you why. It'd disrupt the timeline in unpredictable ways, but I can promise you that I have no intention of attacking this village. I just want to protect my family." Sasuke tells him.

Sarutobi frowns and sighs. There were too many variables. Despite that, there was a certain sincerity and desperation in the young man's voice that he couldn't ignore.

"For now, I will not divulge your secret to them. Do not give me a reason to regret this decision." He states.

"I won't. I promise." Sasuke says with a smile as he sips his sake.


	4. Chapter 4

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Chapter 4

Kakashi, Kurenai, Guy, and Asuma were rather frustrated to put it mildly. They were trying to eavesdrop on what was going on in the Hokage's office, but they couldn't. They couldn't hear a damn thing.

"He must have soundproofed it." Kurenai whispers and the others nod in agreement.

"Well there is still body language! The power of youth won't be defeated that easily!" Guy says as he strikes a dramatic pose.

Kakashi frowns as they watch through the window. The Third was definitely talking to an Uchiha. The man had to be an Uchiha. That Clan definitely had a distinctive look. Unfortunately, Kurenai was right. The office was extremely well soundproofed.

"The Uchiha's body language looks pretty tense. I think he's in some kind of trouble." Asuma says.

The four children frown as they try to figure out what was going on. After awhile though, the Uchiha's shoulders slump in resignation. He was giving up on something and the Hokage looked rather pleased with himself.

"Wait. I think the Uchiha might have something up his sleeve. Lord Hokage looks a little annoyed." Guy points out.

Indeed. The Hokage did look a little irritated and the stranger was smiling as he sipped his drink. Something was up. Something big was up.

"Well I don't think we are going to find anything else out by standing around next to a soundproof office. We should probably go. Someone is going to notice us, if we just stand around here all night." Kurenai reasons and the others nod.

They all quickly head back towards their respective homes. An unspoken agreement had been formed. They were going to find out what was going on between the Uchiha and the Hokage.

Soundproofing Jutsus be damned. They were no match for a child's curiosity. Though Guy put it a different way. Soundproofing Jutsus were no match for the power of youth!

The next morning, Sasuke groans when he wakes up back in Apartment 17 and the sunlight streaks through his windows. He really should have closed the curtains. Sighing, he gets up and stretches.

"If I'm going to do this, I have to figure out a way to improve relations between our Clan and the rest of the village." Sasuke says.

He wasn't sure how he was going to do that. Talking to the Third might help. Sarutobi sorta knew what was going on. That and no one knew this village better than him.

"HURRY, OBITO! You're going to be late for school!" Sasuke hears someone call out from down below.

He winces. Obito? In hindsight, he should have seen that one coming. If he had his math right, Kakashi would be about seven. That meant Obito would be as well.

Obito was here. Sasuke just wasn't sure what to do about that yet. The kid was completely innocent in this era and in the end, he had been a victim of circumstance more than anything else.

"Alright. So I have to save my Clan, including Obito. It'd also be a bonus, if I could save Naruto's parents." He mutters to himself as he quickly gets dressed.

He wasn't sure where he was going to go exactly. He figured that Mikoto would probably know where he was supposed to be. He certainly wasn't going to the Academy, but he didn't have any missions.

The most natural solution would be for him to join the Military Police Academy, but he didn't know if his father would go for that. Fugaku was clearly suspicious of him. He might not want Sasuke to join the Force.

"Not that I can blame him. If I was in his sandals, I wouldn't let me join either." He mutters to himself.

It hurt. The eras might have changed, but he still didn't REALLY know his father. His memories of his father had faded with time. They were a little fuzzy around the edges, but he knew one thing.

Sasuke had never known Fugaku Uchiha. The man had other things on his mind at the time. He remembered a powerful and proud ninja. One who was rather stern and traditional. He certainly didn't wear his heart on his sleeves.

"I guess all I can do is ask. It would be useful to join the Military Police Force. It would give me more access to my Clan and a better chance to prevent the Massacre." He says to himself as he heads out the door.

Looking back on it now, he supposed opposites really did attract. How else had Mikoto Uchiha married her complete opposite? Sasuke knew that it hadn't been an arranged marriage. So clearly, Fugaku had opened up to at least Mikoto. He wasn't COMPLETELY unreachable.

As Sasuke was walking outside, he bumped into something. Something small and furry? He blinks and looks down. Oh. A cat.

"Sorry." He says to the cat and reaches down to pet the poor creature that he had stumbled into.

"It's alright." The feline replies and Sasuke blinks.

Right. A Ninja Cat. He should have seen that one coming. The Uchiha Ninja Cats were the only living reminder of their Clan in the modern era, besides himself. They were probably prowling throughout over the District.

"Oh good. Do you know if Mikoto is up?" He asks.

"Mikoto should be out in a few minutes. I'm Tsuki. I'm bonded with her." The feline says proudly.

Alright. Sasuke mentally translates that to Tsuki being essentially his mother's version of Garuda or Aoda. He could work with that.

"Good morning, Daisuke. I see that you met Tsuki. Tsuki this is Daisuke. You might not remember him. He's grown a lot since you last saw him." His mother says sweetly.

"Oh yes. He's a big tomcat now. Definitely not a kitten anymore. I'm going to go see if the fisher will share any of his catch with me while you show him around." Tsuki says as she bounds off.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Well that was the difference between a Ninja Cat and a Ninja Dog. A Ninja Dog waited for orders. A Ninja Cat did whatever it liked, until you made your "suggestions."

"Come along. I'll take you to the Police Station. I'm certain that they'll get you suited up quickly." Mikoto says.

"Do you really think that Fugaku is going to let me join? I don't think he likes me that much." Sasuke says.

"Fugaku can take awhile to warm up to people. You said it yourself. He's like a lion protecting his pride. He just has to remember you are part of his pride. Besides, don't worry about him. I'll take care of him." She says with a wink.

 _Oh you have no idea, how right you are about that,_ Sasuke thinks to himself slyly. Minato had told him that it was obvious his parents liked each other. They weren't together yet though.

It was only a matter of time. That much was obvious. Itachi would be born two years form now, if the timeline wasn't altered too significantly. That meant his parents had to get together and soon.

"Oh I'd love to see you take care of him. He seems pretty stubborn." Sasuke says.

"Believe me, he is. I'm just more stubborn." Mikoto assures him as they head towards the Police Station.

Meanwhile Kushina and Minato were walking around the village. The two of them were on a date. Kushina couldn't help but notice her boyfriend was extremely distracted.

"Is everything alright? You've been totally spacing out on me!" She says accusingly.

Minato rubs the back of his head sheepishly. What could he really say? He didn't even know what was going on yet. Neither did Fugaku.

He couldn't lie though. Something seemed unusual about Daisuke Uchiha, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"It's a long story. Daisuke Uchiha has returned." Minato says conversationally.

He figured the easiest way to deal with the situation was to act casual. He loved Kushina, but she put her heart and soul into everything. Unfortunately, that also included conspiracy theories.

"Daisuke Uchiha? Who is that? I've never heard of them." The red head replies in confusion.

"He's Mikoto's cousin." He supplies helpfully.

Kushina tilts her head to the side as she tries to recall Daisuke. Hmm. She was coming up with a blank. Then again, the Uchihas were a huge Clan. It was easy to forget about a few of them.

"Well that's good news then. I'm sure that Mikoto is thrilled!" She says excitedly.

"Yeah. It's good news and I'm sure she's happy. It's just that Fugaku thinks something funny is going on. I have to admit the resemblance between Mikoto and Daisuke is uncanny." The blonde offers.

"I don't know why that would bother you. Of course, they look alike. They are cousins and Uchihas tend to look alike to begin with." Kushina says knowledgably.

"Maybe. Maybe you're right. I might just be overanalyzing things. So did you want to go to the Ramen Shop?" He asks.

"I'd love to go! I heard they are unveiling a new flavor!" She says with a dazzling smile.

"Alright. Let's go check it out." Minato says with a chuckle as he leads his girlfriend off to the shop.

He really didn't know how she did it. Somehow, Kushina made ramen sexy. Oh he liked ramen well enough, but he had never fully appreciated it until he saw Kushina eat it.

There was just something really attractive about the way she would completely savor it and the way she sucked on those noodles. Mentally, he slaps himself. Clearly, he had been spending too much time around Jirayia.

"Ah here's a table." Kushina says as she pulls out a chair and gestures for the blonde ninja to join her.

"Yeah. Good find." He says with a grin.

Kushina might have a point. There was a very real chance that it could just be a very strong resemblance. He and Fugaku might be worried over nothing.

"I still would like to meet this Daisuke. It's not like you to get so anxious about anything." Kushina decrees and Minato rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

He probably should have seen that one coming. Kushina might be the Nine Tailed Fox's host, but she was as curious as one of the Uchiha Clan's beloved Ninja Cats.

"Well that's kinda up to him." Minato replies cautiously.

"Oh don't be silly. It's not that big a village. Sooner or later, I'll bump into him. You'll just have to point him out to me." She insists.

Minato sighs. He could tell when he had been defeated. Reluctantly, he nods his head. Hopefully, their meeting would end in disaster.

Back in the Uchiha District, Fugaku sighs as he goes over some of the latest reports. Mostly it was tedious paperwork. He didn't see anything that was too concerning.

He would much rather be out in the field at the moment or at least patrolling the streets. Unfortunately, being the Chief of Police meant that he had to battle the Paperwork Monster regularly.

"There is no more sadistic foe than paperwork. Paper cuts are not to be taken lightly." He mutters in annoyance as he sips his coffee.

"Maybe you should wear mittens while you do paperwork." He hears a feminine voice suggest with a slight giggle.

Fugaku sighs and looks up at the ceiling. Why him? Why did Mikoto have to pick that moment to walk in on him?

Oh lovely. She wasn't alone. She had brought Daisuke with her. Damn it. This was going to get ugly and quickly. He knew exactly what the dark haired beauty wanted and there was no way that he was going to give it to her.

"No. I'd lose the necessary dexterity to complete my word. I also know what you are going to ask about Daisuke. The answer is no. He just came back from a long mission. He should enjoy a vacation before jumping back into things." He says firmly.

Mikoto shakes her head and sighs. She knew that he was going to be difficult, but the Uchiha woman had meant what she said. She was far more stubborn than Fugaku and she was going to prove it.

"You're all stretched too thin. Another set of hands would be useful." Mikoto reasons as she sits on his desk.

"Mikoto, will you kindly get off my desk?" He asks.

He HATED when she did that. It gave him a lovely view of the woman's legs and that was far too distracting. That and the last thing he wanted was for Mikoto to catch him looking. She'd probably smack him for being a pervert.

"I like your desk though. That and I know it annoys you. I'm not moving until you agree to be reasonable." She insists.

Fugaku pauses as he considers how likely that reaction was. On second thought, Mikoto probably wouldn't smack him. That was more of a Kushina thing. She'd either tease him without mercy about it until the day one of them died or she'd lock him in some sort of Genjutsu. Mikoto Uchiha was not a woman to be underestimated. Far too many people made the mistake of doing so because she came across as rather sweet.

"I don't really mind a vacation…" Sasuke says as he watches his future parents begin their battle of wills.

Honestly, this woman was intent on giving him a heart attack. Surely, that was the only logical explanation. She liked being on his desk?! Did she sincerely not realize the million ways that such a declaration could be taken in the WRONG way?!

"Maybe a vacation wouldn't be a bad idea. Still it couldn't hurt for Fugaku to at least get you, your uniform and registered." Mikoto points out.

"You heard the boy. He is just fine with a vacation. After his vacation, I can get him registered. Besides, I have more than enough on my plate right now. Getting him a uniform and registered is rather low on my list of priorities." The stubborn Uchiha states.

Mikoto raises an eyebrow. He wanted to play rough. Fine. She was more than capable of playing rough, if she had to.

"If you don't get him immediately, I'll let everyone know what your favorite dessert is." She warns him.

Fugaku blinks. She wouldn't dare? Would she? He sighs as he looks at her and decides that she would.

That woman was as evil as she was beautiful. He couldn't believe that she was capable of such cruelty. His pride would never recover, if the other men found out what his favorite dessert was. Pink frosted cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles.

"Alright. Alright. I'll get him registered, but he's not on active duty until his vacation is over and you had better not tell anyone that!" He says.

"That's better. See, Daisuke? I told you that I was more stubborn than him." Mikoto asks smugly.

Sasuke blinks. His mother had done the impossible. She had just changed his father's mind. That was a first.

Scratch that thought. Honestly, he didn't really know what their marriage was like. They didn't fight as far as he could remember. Mikoto Uchiha wasn't someone who liked direct confrontations. Apparently though, she was capable of using "blackmail" to get her way.

"Don't get too cocky. This was a mild thing. I was likely going to have him join eventually, anyway." Fugaku mutters.

His pride had been damaged, but Fugaku knew he'd recover. He wouldn't recover, if the others knew about his favorite dessert though. That would just be a disaster.

"Of course. I just saved us all some time." Mikoto says with a smile as she hops off his desk.

He had no idea what he was going to do with this woman. Honestly, she was going to be the death of him. Between her beauty and unintentionally outrageous comments about desks, he was going to have a stroke before thirty. He just knew it!

"Of course. You were just being considerate of my time." He says.

"Mhm. Well I'll let you two boys get used to it. I have a mission to go on." Mikoto says as she saunters off.

"I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with that woman. It's as if she has no respect for my authority, at all." He says with a sigh.

 _Marry her and have two children,_ Sasuke thinks to himself. Of course, he knew better than to say that to Fugaku. That would really mess up the timeline.

Meanwhile back in the present, Naruto was getting really worried. He hadn't seen Sasuke in weeks. He knew that the bastard was antisocial, but this was ridiculous. He had to find out what was going on.

With that goal in mind, Naruto heads to the Uchiha District. The place still gave him the creeps. It was just so lifeless. He had non idea how Sasuke could stand to live there.

"It must have been beautiful, once upon a time though." Naruto says with a sigh as he wanders down the painfully empty streets.

The painfully empty and dark streets. This place looked like the perfect setting for a horror movie. Naruto didn't like it at all, but he had to find out what was going on with Sasuke and that meant going into the Uchiha District.

"Sasuke!" He calls out and grumbles when he received no answer.

Well that didn't mean much. It was late. The last Uchiha might be asleep. Yeah. That was it. There was no reason to panic.

 _ **"It's strange. His scent is so faint. It's as if the Uchiha hasn't been here in weeks."**_ Kurama observes.

Naruto frowns at that announcement. He had never known the Nine Tail's nose to be wrong before. If Kyuubi didn't think Sasuke had been there for weeks, he probably hadn't.

 **"Let's go check out his place, before we jump to any conclusions."** Naruto says as he continues on trek towards Sasuke's house.

It wasn't hard to figure out which one belonged to his favorite bastard. Sasuke's home was the only one left standing in the entire District. That was probably just one of the many reasons why the District felt like a ghost town, even the houses were "dead."

 _ **"I'm telling you, he's not here."**_ Kurama insists.

Naruto didn't want to believe that. After everything, would Sasuke leave again? Just like that? Without a word?

 **"I don't believe it. He'll be inside his house! I'm sure of it!"** Naruto says with a lot more confidence than he really felt.

With that being said, he races inside the home. He screams and yells for Sasuke. Naruto frowns after a few minutes, when he realizes no answer was forthcoming. That was a bad sign.

"There's got to be something around here. He had to leave a clue. Maybe someone took him or something!" The blonde cries out in horror.

 _ **"I know that you aren't stupid enough to believe that. Who do you possibly believe is strong enough to kidnap him? Madara is gone."**_ Kurama poitns out.

 **"Shut up! He's here! I know it!"** Naruto protests and that's when he notices a note.

A note that was written in Sasuke's handwriting. It even had his signature on it. Sasuke had the kind of signature that was really hard to fake. Naruto was pretty sure that Sasuke had made sure of that. This was real.

What he read was unbelievable though. Naruto mentally kicks himself for such a thought, shortly after thinking it. This was Sasuke. Almost anything was possible when it came to the last Uchiha.

 _ **Dear Loser,**_

 _ **If you are reading this, then the Time Traveling Jutsu either worked or I'm dead. The Rinnegan gave me the ability to finally fully decipher the Stone Tablets. They were filled with all sorts of useful information, including a Time Travel Jutsu.**_

 _ **Only someone with the Rinnegan can manage it. So don't bother trying to find me. I'm sorry, Naruto.**_

 _ **I really am, but I can't do it. I want my family back. I can't live every day in this village, in this District. It's too painful. If there's a chance that I can save them, I have to take it.**_

 _ **I hope that you can understand. If this is successful, there's a chance that neither of us will remember any of this. If it isn't, I want you to know that you are the best friend anyone could have ever asked for.**_

 _ **You never gave up on me. God help you, you were loyal to the point of absolute stupidity. Sometimes, I thought you were borderline suicidal. That doesn't matter now though.**_

 _ **Thanks to you, I have a chance to get my family back. I have a chance to make this right. I hope that whatever happens, that you will be happy. And one day, you will be a great Hokage.**_

 _ **Sasuke.**_

Naruto's eyes widen in shock and horror. Sasuke had actually tried to travel back in time?! He must have completely lost his mind!

"I know that he misses his family, but this is insanity! Does he have anny idea what sort of changes this might make to the timeline?! That's assuming that performing the Jutsu didn't kill him in the first place. SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto calls out.

Soon dozens of clones were formed. Naruto had them search the house and even the District from top to bottom. They didn't find a body. That could only mean one thing.

Sasuke had gone back in time. His best friend had done what was supposed to be impossible. He had time traveled.

"I hope the bastard knows what he's doing." The young ninja whispers to himself.

This was completely insane. Sasuke was messing with time itself! He had thought that Sasuke going to the Sound Village was bad, but that had been child's play compared to this.

Naruto had no idea what was going to happen. He just knew that he was powerless to change anything. He didn't have the Rinnegan.

This was one time where he wouldn't be able to follow Sasuke and that thought terrified him. What was going to happen to his best friend? What was going to happen to all of them?


	5. Chapter 5

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I don't believe that it was ever stated what the name of Sasuke's and Itachi's paternal grandfather was. So I've always just called him Kenji. If anyone knows his real name, please feel free to let me know.

Chapter 5

A few days later and Sasuke felt like a child again. He really wanted his mother. He wanted her a lot right now. He shouldn't have to face this alone. No one should.

"So you're Mikoto's cousin? Well you're pretty handsome. Where have you been all these years?! Oh you're wearing the Military Police Force uniform! Did you join them? Well you must have. Otherwise, it wouldn't make much sense for you to wear it. Do you like being a member of the Police Force? I'm Kushina, by the way. I'm friends with Mikoto." The red head explains all in one breath.

Sasuke blinks. She was worse than Naruto. He didn't think that such a thing was possible, but there was someone who babbled more than Naruto Uzumaki and that someone was his mother.

Sasuke knew that he had done a lot of horrible things in his life, but he didn't think that he deserved his. It was a verbal Lion's Barrage or something. Honestly, didn't the woman ever need to breath? How did she get so many questions out in one breath? It was a bit unnerving, really.

"Yes, I'm Mikoto's cousin and thank you. I've just come back from a long-term mission and joined the Military Police Force. So far, I like it. I'm Daisuke and it's nice to meet you, Kushina." He answers.

He figured that it was best to be thorough. Sasuke was almost certain that Kushina was like Naruto in another key respect. She'd never give up until she got the answers that she wanted.

"Ah welcome back. It's very nice to meet you. You're a lot more talkative than Fugaku!" She says brightly.

"I don't believe in wasting time on unnecessary words." Sasuke hears a familiar voice say.

Alright. He had been hoping that his mother would save him. Sasuke wasn't picky though. If his father could get him away from the chatty red head, he could work with that.

"Pft! You're so mean!" Kushina grumbles.

"Don't mind her, Daisuke. I think that it's a law of nature that red heads are supposed to be hyper." He offers.

"You've clearly never met Gaara then." Sasuke muses and Fugaku tilts his head to the side in confusion.

Damn it. Sasuke regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Of course, his father had never met Gaara. The red head hadn't been born yet.

Gaara was many things, but hyper wasn't one of them. Unfortunately, that didn't really matter at the moment. Sasuke knew that he was going to have to make something up and fast.

"Who is Gaara?" He asks curiously.

"While I was on my mission, I traveled far and wide. I met a lot of people. One of them was a red head named Gaara." The younger Uchiha explains.

"I see. Is this Gaara a friend of yours? Do you think it's likely that he'll be visiting the Leaf soon?" The Head of the Uchiha Clan inquires.

"Well not exactly. He might come to the Leaf, but it wouldn't be for a very long time. He lives far away." The raven haired man answers honestly, but vaguely.

Fugaku nods and Sasuke mentally sighs in relief. Thank goodness. The elder Uchiha was certainly not the type to pry.

"Well if he does come to the Leaf, we'll be sure to greet him properly. I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but Kenji has called off today. It seems an old war injury is bothering him. We are short an officer. I'd like you to fill in for him." He states.

Sasuke could scarcely believe his ear. Fugaku wanted him to go on patrol with him? His younger self would have been jumping up and down with giddiness. As an adult, he didn't know what to feel.

He was happy because he'd finally have a chance to get to know his father better. Sasuke was certainly proud that his Clan played such an important role in the Leaf's safety, but he also knew the truth.

"I'd love to. I've never done a shift on the Force before though." Sasuke replies.

The Military Force had played a major role in his Clan's downfall. The raven haired ninja wasn't entirely certain if Tobirama had intended for the Military Police Force to do so or not, but it didn't matter. The Uchihas were policing other ninjas. It was only natural that would breed resentment.

Sasuke decides to speak to the Third about this later. Sarutobi struck him as a good man. He just hadn't acted quickly enough to prevent a tragedy. Sasuke privately vows to himself that this time, things would be different. There would be no Uchiha Massacre in the altered timeline.

"That's alright. The Hokage entrusted you with a long-term mission. I assume that means that you are a competent ninja. You'll likely catch on quickly." Fugaku says as he gestures for Sasuke to follow him.

""Good luck!" Kushina calls out to the departing Uchihas.

"Thank you." Sasuke says with a smile as he darts off after his father.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. Kushina was Kushina. Truthfully, he had no idea how Minato kept up with the feisty red head. He certainly didn't have the patience.

"You're welcome, by the way." The elder Uchiha says.

"Wait. Did you just make that up? Aren't we going to do a patrol for the Military Police Force?" The time traveler asks.

Fugaku chuckles. He looked so positively scandalized. Perhaps he was overanalyzing things. It was possible that Daisuke was just a promising, young ninja who had been giving a long term mission. Maybe there was really nothing sinister going on.

His reaction was certainly that of an innocent "child." Well a child by ninja standards. It was as if he couldn't believe that Fugaku had "lied" about police work.

"We aren't going on a patrol together. I'm not that foolish. One must undergo training, before being allowed to go on patrol. We don't let just anyone police the Leaf. Our Clan has a reputation to protect, after all." He explains as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh. Well that makes sense." Sasuke says, suddenly feeling rather silly.

Of course. It was only natural that there would be some kind of training to be an Officer. His Clan would have been foolish not to mandate some sort of training.

The Uchihas were policing other Leaf Ninjas. The other ninjas would never have consented to be policed by amateurs. It was only natural that the Uchihas would come up with some sort of standards to assure their fellow Leaf Villagers that the Uchihas knew what they were doing.

"We are going to take you to begin your training though. So I didn't TECHNICALLY lie to Kushina. You are going to go on patrols and Kenji's war injury is bother him. Eventually, you will fill in for him. I just didn't say when." Fugaku says smugly.

Sasuke couldn't help, but laugh. It was like his father thought that he had gotten away with stealing a cookie from the cookie jar or something. He'd never known Fugaku Uchiha to be this sneaky before.

"True. Alright. Let's go." He says with a smile.

Meanwhile Mikoto shakes her head and rubs Kenji's shoulders. Fugaku's father was far more playful than Fugaku, but he was just as stubborn. Honestly, the man should retire from active duty.

"You should go and see a proper medic. There is only so much that my shoulder rubs can do for you. That and you should ask the Hokage about a reassignment. There is always paperwork that needs doing at the Military Police Force or you could become an Academy Instructor." She suggests.

Kenji shakes his head. No. He wasn't going to become some paper pusher! His shoulder would be fine.

"You severely underestimate the power of your shoulder rubs! That and I'm no paper pusher. I think we both know that." The Uchiha Patriarch replies.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you and paperwork. You would still make a marvelous instructor. The children would benefit enormously from your instruction. That and my shoulder rubs are no substitute for real treatment. Kenji, you should get your shoulders looked at." The dark haired beauty replies in concern.

The elderly Uchiha sighs. He hated to admit it, but Mikoto might have a point. Maybe being an Academy Instructor wouldn't be too bad. He did like children.

"I'll speak with Lord Hokage about the matter. We'll see what he has to say. That and there may be some merit to your suggestion. There are few things in life that can bring one greater joy than children, particularly grandchildren." He says with a cheeky smile.

Mikoto feels her face burn with embarrassment. Damn Kenji Uchiha. The man was unbelievable sometimes and about as subtle as a kunai to the head.

"Good. I'm glad that you're going to speak to Sarutobi about this. Really, this should have been done a long time ago. It's a rare ninja who is still on active duty by age forty. There's no shame in it." She points out.

Kenji chuckles. Mikoto was blushing. It was quite amusing to tease her. He loved his son dearly, but sometimes he just didn't understand Fugaku.

It was obvious that that he had a soft spot for Mikoto. Well perhaps obvious was a bit of a stretch. Most of the Uchiha Clan didn't realize it, but he knew his son.

Kenji was well aware that Fugaku adored the younger Uchiha. What he didn't understand was why his son wasn't acting on his feelings for the female ninja. Oh well. That just meant that it fell to him to play the role of matchmaker. Truthfully, it was something that he enjoyed doing anyway.

"I suppose there's no shame in it. I know that I should be grateful to have made it this far. There are many talented ninjas who never live to see their thirtieth birthday." Kenji says with a sigh.

"That's right." Mikoto says, clearly pleased that he was finally listening to her sensible advice.

"And it would be nice to live long enough to get to know my grandchildren." He continues.

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement. Well Kenji was Kenji. The man could be quite outrageous sometimes!

"Yes, I'm certain that it would. You, my friend, are not very subtle." She grumbles.

"I feel that subtly just wastes time at my age. If it isn't for the sake of a mission, I don't want to throw away what precious time that I have left." The elder Uchiha says with a shrug.

"You're not that old. You're only fifty." Mikoto reminds him.

Kenji chuckles. Well the woman was asking for this one. The dark haired beauty had certainly walked straight into it.

"I'm only fifty, but I'm too old for combat duty. Do you not see how you have just contradicted yourself, my dear?" Kenji asks slyly and Mikoto just rolls her eyes in response.

"You're impossible!" The Uchiha woman snaps at him.

"Yes, I've been told that more than once or twice in my life. Now speaking about those grandchildren, I don't really care what gender they are. Names are very important though." He says.

Mikoto shakes her head. Only Kenji. There were times when she wondered if Fugaku shouldn't ask for a paternity test. If the two men didn't look so much alike, she would never have believed that they were related.

"Yes, names are important. When Fugaku gets married, you should tell his wife that." She says.

"I'm telling her in advance." He says cheekily and Mikoto just rolls her eyes playfully as she heads off.

Back in the present, Naruto groans. Oh Sakura was not going to like this. His other teammate was going to flip.

"Naruto, I want to know. Where is Sasuke?! I know that you know! You have guilty written all over your face! Tell me what is going on!" She demands.

"It's a long story. He'll be back though. I think. Well I hope. It was for a good reason this time!" The blonde stammers.

Sakura blinks. She didn't like the sound of that. The he'll be back thing, implied that Sasuke had left. He had left them _**AGAIN**_!

Not again! This couldn't be happening again! Why couldn't Sasuke just stay in the Leaf and be happy?! He kept leaving! Over and over!

"Where did he go and why? Did he say when he'll be back?" She asks.

"Um yeah. That's the long story. We should really go somewhere private, if you wanna talk about this stuff. Maybe my place?" The bubbly blonde suggests.

Sakura sighs. Whatever this was, it had to be bad. If Naruto thought the situation called for subtly, that was not a good sign. That was the opposite of a good sign, really.

"Alright. Let's go to your place." She says as she teleports off with Naruto, away from the hospital.

Naruto had a physical scheduled that day. That's how Sakura had finally cornered him. She was almost positive that her friend had been avoiding her for awhile before that. Now she knew that she wasn't imagining things.

"Here we are. Well you know how Sasuke has the Rinnegan now, right?" He asks cautiously.

"Yes, I'm aware that he has the Rinnegan. What does that have to do with anything though?" Sakura demands.

"Well it let him read the Uchiha Stone Tablets completely. Apparently, he found some interesting stuff there." Her friend continues.

Sakura blinks. She wasn't sure what Naruto meant by interesting, but she doubted it was anything good. This was Sasuke, after all.

"Interesting how?" The medic replies anxiously.

"There was a Time Traveling Jutsu. Sasuke left me a note. I really don't know what's going to happen to him there. It's possible that he might completely reset the future. We can't go after him this time. Neither of us has the Rinnegan or access to someone else, who does." Naruto says mournfully.

This couldn't be happening. Sasuke was going back in time and they couldn't follow him? That meant that they had no idea what was going to happen.

"Did he say WHEN he was going back in time?" She whispers.

"I assume he's going to try to stop the Massacre. There are a billion ways that he could try to do that and without the Massacre, lots of stuff is going to change. I don't know if we'll ever seen him again. I don't know, if he can get back here. I don't know, if we'll remember him." The blue eyed ninja says.

Sakura's eyes widen in horror. Could that really be true? Did Sasuke actually manage to time travel?

"How do we know that he was successful? Nothing is any different than before." She whispers.

"Well I didn't find any body. I think that he managed to go somewhere. I just don't know, if he got to where he wanted to go." The blonde answers.

Elsewhere, Sasuke was back in the Konoha Military Police Force's building. His father was having him tested. Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, chakra control, stamina, and an I.Q. tests were all on the menu.

Sasuke knew that his father was just being smart. Fugaku wanted to know what the latest recruit was capable of. Unfortunately, that meant he had to decide exactly how much to show off.

"The I.Q. Test is pretty self-explanatory." Fugaku says.

"Yeah. Alright. I guess I'll get started on it." Sasuke says with a forced smile.

He hoped that the Uchiha Patriarch didn't realize it was forced though. Sighing, he decides that he could be "honest" at least on the intelligence test. That wouldn't give too much away, would it?

The Uchiha Clan had produced its fair share of prodigies. While most of them couldn't compete with Shikamaru in book knowledge, they were skilled tacticians and gifted academically. He could show off his true intelligence and hopefully, he wouldn't raise Fugaku's suspicions further.

"Good. You have one hour." Fugaku says as he leaves Daisuke alone in the exam room.

He had made sure that Daisuke couldn't get in or out of it for an hour. The same applied to everyone else. He wasn't going to allow anyone to interrupt his test, Daisuke to cheat, or for anyone to help him.

"Fugaku, your father is impossible." He hears someone say from behind him.

He mentally sighs. He would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Mikoto. Honestly, how was he supposed to get any work done when that woman kept sauntering into the station?

It wasn't fair. Fugaku liked to think of himself as someone who wasn't easily distracted, but damn it. That was a nice saunter. He couldn't help but wonder, if Mikoto was aware of that fact.

"What did my father, do this time?" He asks in amusement.

"Oh it's more like what hasn't he done. You know how Kenji Uchiha is." Mikoto observes with a quiet giggle.

Fugaku nods. He loved his father. He really did, but the man could be more than a little outrageous.

"Indeed. Was there something specifically that was vexing you?" The Uchiha Patriarch inquires.

"Oh. I was trying to tell him that he should retire from active combat duty. In particular, I think he would make a fine Academy Instructor. Of course, he's being stubborn. Is someone in the exam room?" Mikoto asks.

"That would be a good position for him. My father does love children and you're right. He is getting a bit old to be an active duty combat ninja. Yes, someone is in the exam room. They'll be out in a little under an hour. It's just an I.Q. Test." Fugaku assures her.

He knew that she didn't entirely agree with their training methods. An I.Q. Test shouldn't upset her too much though. Then again, this was Mikoto. She could be rather overprotective of her Clansmen and Clanswomen at times.

"Who is taking the test?" She asks.

"Daisuke. He's going to be entering the Police Force. I need to know what he's capable of and what he isn't capable of." He says bluntly.

Mikoto bites her lower lip. She knew that in this instance, Fugaku was just being a good Clan Head. He was just doing what he would do to anyone else who wanted to join the Force. It still felt wrong though.

"Fugaku, he's just a boy." She says.

"He's a Chunin. A Chunin who was gone for years on an important assignment. He's not a child, Mikoto." The other Uchiha insists.

"Maybe you're right. I just…don't know. There's something about him that makes me feel very protective of him. More protective than I should. I can't explain it." She whispers.

"Mikoto, you're a kind woman. You have always argued on behalf of children. I suppose that because he's been gone for so long, you still see him as a child. He's not a child though." Fugaku says gently.

She sighs and nods. Fugaku was right. Daisuke was clearly an adult. She wasn't sure why she couldn't think of him that way.

"Maybe, you're right. It has been a long time. The last time I saw him, he was barely more than a Genin. That's probably why I feel this way." She mutters, not sounding entirely convinced.

"Yes, that's probably why. Well was there anything else that you wished to speak about?" he asks.

"I fought dirty, earlier. I shouldn't have used your weakness against you like that." She says as she hands him a bag of something.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow and looks into the bag. Cupcakes. Pink cupcakes. He blinks in surprise.

"Yes, well I should have seen it coming. A ninja must expect the unexpected." He says.

"One of these days, I'm going to get you to relax for more than five minutes. Fugaku, you don't have to take everything so seriously." She tells him.

He sighs and shakes his head. Oh yes, he did. He was the leader of their Clan and the Military Police Force. Relations between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village were getting worse with each passing year. He was going to have to do something and soon. He just didn't know what.

"I'll hold you to that. So are you going to stay until we get his results?" He asks.

"I don't see why not. After all, I have to find out a way to help you relax for a few minutes. Your father is much more easy to deal with in that regard. All he needs is a shoulder rub." She says.

"If he wasn't deeply in love with my mother, I would accuse him of being a perverted old man." He mutters.

Mikoto laughs. Oh Kenji was as perverted old man. It was just that his affections were focused solely on his wife, Aiya. The two of them were practically inseparable, even to this day.

"Oh we all know the truth. He is, but only for your mother." She notes in amusement.

"That's very true. We should all be so lucky as to have a marriage like theirs. Though I have to wonder sometimes, how my mother didn't kill him off long before now." He mutters.

The dark haired beauty merely shakes her head in response. It wasn't as if that thought hadn't occurred to her more than once. Hell, it had probably occurred to Aiya.

Despite that though, it had to be true love. That was the only logical explanation for why Kenji Uchiha was still breathing. (Aiya could be quite feisty, when she wanted to be.)

"I can't disagree with that musing." She admits.

A little less than an hour later, Fugaku goes to check on Daisuke. He leets the other man out of the room and begins grading his results. Mikoto shakes her head as she watches Fugaku crane over the results with a frown marring his face.

"You must have done well." She tells him.

"What makes you think that?" Sasuke replies in confusion at his mother's observation.

"He was looking for an excuse not to put you on the Force. A bad result would have been sufficient." Mikoto says.

Sasuke sighs. His father was definitely a suspicious person by nature. What killed him is that Fugaku had every right to be.

"As much as it pains me to say this, the kid is a genius. Well your next assessment will be Taijutsu." Fugaku says with a sigh.

He hoped that the "kid" would perform poorly in at least one area. That would give him an excuse to delay putting him out in the field. He still wasn't sure what to make of Daisuke Uchiha and he didn't want to put an unknown variable on the Police Force. That could prove very dangerous.


	6. Chapter 6

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6

Several hours later, Sasuke pants. He got the impression that his father was bending a few rules to test him in all these areas at once. This theory was further reinforced by the fact that his mother was giving Fugaku a rather dirty look.

"Mikoto, don't give me that look." Fugaku says as he marks down Sasuke's score on the final test.

"What look?" She demands as crosses her arms.

Fugaku shakes his head. He knew that it wasn't fighting fair, but the elder Uchiha knew that time was his friend. Daisuke's story was lining up just enough that he couldn't say that the other man was lying, but there were a few things that weren't adding up.

"Oh I believe that you know very well which look I am referring to." The elder Uchiha replies in amusement.

Daisuke was a Chunin. All his test results were at least Jonin level though. It wouldn't have been a stretch to place him at ANBU level either. His results were exceptional for his rank, but not exceptional enough to raise TOO much suspicion. It was all just a little too convenient.

"Perhaps, I do. Perhaps, I do not. I'm afraid that you'll have to clarify." Mikoto retorts.

The Uchiha Patriarch couldn't help but suspect that Daisuke was intentionally altering his performance. He had a hunch that the young Uchiha wasn't displaying the full extent of his capabilities and that thought disturbed him. If that was indeed the case, Fugaku had to find out why.

"The one that implies you wish to have Tsuki use me as her scratching post." He states.

"The thought may have crossed my mind, particularly as it applies to your southern region." She informs him cheerfully.

Sasuke and Fugaku both wince simultaneously. Luckily, Sasuke was pretty sure that Mikoto would assume it was just the natural reaction for any man to have to such a threat. In reality, "Daisuke" was more than a little concerned for the safety of his father's southern region for some very selfish reasons. (He and Itachi needed Fugaku in one fully functional piece for them to be conceived!)

"You're just as vicious as you are beautiful. Let that be a lesson to you, Daisuke. Never incur the wrath of an Uchiha woman." He says with a sigh.

"Yeah. Got it. So how did I do?" Sasuke asks.

He probably shouldn't have shown off as much as he did. Fugaku might be even more suspicious of him now. Sasuke had compromised between "Chunin Strength" and his real strength.

The young Uchiha hadn't shown his father everything that he could do, but he had shown him enough. He had purposely tried to perform on par with the Uchiha Patriarch or ideally, just slightly lower. The last thing that he needed was for his own father to feel threatened by his abilities.

"I'm going to have to speak to the Hokage. I can't in good conscience not recommend you for a promotion. You are clearly well beyond Chunin Level. At a minimum, you deserve the title of Jonin." Fugaku admits.

Mikoto shakes her head at Fugaku's reaction. He should be proud to have another powerful Uchiha on the Military Police Force. Instead of that though, he was sulking? Well he was sulking as much as Fugaku Uchiha was capable of doing so, anyway.

"Thank you." Sasuke says with a smile.

"Don't thank me. I wouldn't be doing my job as a Leaf Ninja, if I didn't make the recommendation." Fugaku states.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. His mother might think his father was a teddy bear, but he wasn't so sure. If this is how he treated allies, God help anyone that Fugaku considered an opponent.

"That's his way of congratulating you on a job well done." Mikoto assures Sasuke with a sweet smile.

"Good to know." He says with a smirk and Mikoto tilts her head.

That was odd. That was the same look that Fugaku gave whenever he was feeling particularly pleased with himself. She mentally shakes her head and decides she was being silly.

It was only natural that they would share at least some physical traits. They were both Uchihas. Honestly, she was going to go home and enjoy a nice bubble bath and then try to get a few hours of sleep. Clearly, she must be working too hard because she was overanalyzing trivial things.

"Come Mikoto, I'll walk you home." Fugaku says.

"Alright. Good night, Daisuke." Mikoto says as she walks off with his future father.

Sasuke sighs in relief. Well his parents weren't quite together yet. As long as he kept Tsuki away from his father though, there was still an excellent chance that everything was on schedule as far as Itachi's conception went.

He still had a lot of work to do though. Sasuke had to find a way to prevent the Massacre. With that in mind, he quickly heads off towards the Hokage's office.

"I need to speak to the Hokage, immediately." Sasuke says to Shikaku.

"You're that kid that he sent us to retrieve before. What a drag. This had better be important." He says with a yawn as he goes to inform Sarutobi of Daisuke's arrival.

A few minutes later, the lazy ninja returns and escorts Sasuke into the Third's Office. Sarutobi smiles and politely dismisses the Jonin, before getting up and locking the door. He knew one thing, whatever he and Daisuke discussed was not something that should be overheard.

"Welcome back. Are you going to tell me the real reason why you are here now?" He asks pleasantly.

"I'm afraid that I can't do that. I was going to make a request though." Sasuke says.

Sarutobi raises an eyebrow. Daisuke was asking a lot of him already. The man was asking him to accept the fact that he had traveled back in time and meant no ill will towards the Leaf Village. In addition to all that, Daisuke now wanted ask him for a favor? The boy certainly had guts, Sarutobi muses to himself.

"I'll admit that you have aroused my curiosity. I may or may not grant your request. It depends on the nature of the favor that you seek." The Hokage replies diplomatically.

"That's fair. I think that it would be best to organize some sort of celebration. A celebration open to everyone in the village. Whether or not they are Uchihas. I think that my Clan's isolation is what causes the bulk of the tension between us and the rest of the village." He states.

Hmm. Sarutobi wasn't entirely certain what he had expected, but that wasn't it. Daisuke wanted a party. He wanted to encourage the Uchihas to mix and mingle with those outside of their Clan.

It seemed like a reasonable request on the surface. There was some logic to what he was saying. He had had similar concerns in the past. Sarutobi sometimes wondered if the District that Tobirama established for the Uchihas did more harm than good.

"I'll consider your request. We would need an occasion though." He states.

"I'm certain that if you searched the Record Scrolls, you could find an anniversary of some battle the Leaf Village won during one of the Great Ninja Wars or something." Sasuke offers.

Sarutobi chuckles. That was true. If one searched far back enough, almost any day could be considered historically significant. Daisuke was correct about that much.

"I suppose that it can't hurt. It's difficult for me to see how a day of levity will harm the village. Do not make me regret this though." He says sternly.

"I won't." Sasuke promises with a smile.

This was the first step towards reintegrating his Clan back into the rest of the village. He wouldn't mess this up. Sasuke was going to make this work. He just didn't know how yet.

"Good. I shall get started on organizing the party." The Third assures him.

"Thank you." Sasuke whispers as he heads off.

Back in the present, Naruto was with Kakashi, Sakura, and even Hinata. The four of them were trying desperately to decipher the Uchiha Stone Tablets. Kakashi had a Sharingan, so he could read them slightly. Unfortunately, Byakugan apparently couldn't read anything on the tablets. Sakura was there because Naruto knew that she'd go crazy waiting, otherwise.

"The details are vague. I can make out that there is a Forbidden Jutsu that can only be used by someone with the Rinnegan, but not much else beyond that. I guess we now know what that Forbidden Jutsu was." Kakashi says.

"I can't believe that he would be this stupid! There's a million ways that this could go wrong. He's been gone for a long time now though and I haven't noticed any changes. Maybe, it didn't work? Do you think he got stuck?" Sakura asks.

Naruto rubs his temples as he tries to fight back a migraine. A thousand possibilities were swirling around in his mind and it was giving him a headache. Damn him! Damn Sasuke for being such a sneaky bastard!

"I don't think he got stuck. Sasuke's really smart. If anyone can make this Jutsu work, it's him." The blonde protests.

Kakashi frowns as he considers that. Sasuke was a genius and he had a lot of chakra. He didn't know much about the Time Traveling Jutsu, but the CopyCat Ninja assumed that it required quite a bit of chakra to pull off. He wanted to believe that somehow Sasuke had survived the attempt.

"Maybe the time line wouldn't change until it catches up with the moment that he left." Hinata suggests.

Naruto blinks as he considers that. Hinata might be right. Sasuke had been gone awhile and so far nothing had changed.

"That's a good point, but how would we know when the time lines catch up?" The blonde inquires.

Kakashi sighs. There really was no way to tell. He couldn't read enough of the Uchiha Tablets to decipher that part. They would need a Rinnegan for that.

"Unfortunately, I don't think that we have any choice. We'll have to wait and hope for the best." The silver haired ninja says with a sigh.

Back in the past, Sasuke was pleased to see that Sarutobi had kept his word. Two weeks had passed and now a grand festival was being held in honor of some mostly forgotten victory by the Leaf Village during the First Great Ninja War. Everyone was dressed in their finest and celebrating in the middle of the streets or in various nearby shops.

"I have to give the old man credit, he's good." Sasuke whispers to himself.

"The Third Hokage is known as a God Amongst Ninjas for many reasons." Fugaku informs Sasuke as he walks over to him.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Great. His father had caught him talking to himself. That was one Hell of a way to earn his trust. The man probably thought that he was half insane now.

Despite that, it was hard to be in a bad mood. Music, laughter, and the scent of delicious food filled the air. There were thousands of colorful lanterns and beautiful flowers hung up everywhere. The Full Moon and starry sky were working together to provide a beautiful backdrop for their festivities. Everything was perfect.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. Where is Mikoto?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh. She's likely with Kushina. The two of them are practically inseparable. Well whenever Kushina isn't joined at the hip with Minato." He notes in amusement.

"Ah makes sense." Sasuke says and he smiles as he saw more and more Uchihas make their way onto the various streets of the Leaf Village and into the different shops.

It was a bit sad to see how wary they all looked. Sasuke chooses not to focus on that for the moment though. The fact that they had come to a voluntary celebration spoke volumes.

His family wanted to be part of the village again. They just didn't really know how to articulate that desire. That was okay. Sasuke would find a way to articulate it for them.

"Women always travel in packs, when given a choice." Fugaku says knowledgeably and Sasuke laughs.

Sasuke tries to mingle with the crowd as he keeps a subtle eye on his father. His father was the leader of their Clan. It was important that he be seen socializing and having a good time. He couldn't lie though. It felt awkward to be "spying" on his own father.

"Hinata?" He asks in a stunned voice when he sees three women walk side by side along the street.

The women in question looked almost identical to Hinata, but it couldn't be her. She was walking next to his mother and Kushina. This couldn't be the shy girl that he vaguely remembered from the Academy. This is had to be her mother.

The three women presented quite the impressive visual. It was like watching the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars saunter along the street. Sasuke didn't think that he had ever seen three women who were more different and yet, somehow they seemed to form a cohesive unit.

"Hinata? Who are you talking about? That's Emiko. Lord Hiashi's wife." Fugaku says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kushina was like the Sun in her golden kimono and with her energetic strut. His mother was like the Moon with her gorgeous midnight blue kimono and elegant saunter. Finally, "Emiko" was like the stars. Her lavender kimono and shy, graceful walk were very much like the stars. Beautiful, but content to stay in the background.

"My mistake. She just reminded me of someone that I used to know." Sasuke says and Fugaku nods.

"I swear that they wore those kimonos to tease us." Minato mutters.

"I'm certain that Kushina did. I highly doubt that Emiko Hyuga is the type to flaunt her beauty intentionally though. As for Mikoto, well she's Mikoto." Fugaku says as if it was obvious.

That's when Sasuke hears an amused chuckle and looks around to find Kenji. Uh oh. He loved his father and grandfather dearly, but t here was no denying that the two men were nothing alike. Sometimes that could prove amusing and sometimes, it could prove disastrous.

"What he means to say is that he thinks Mikoto would look good in a potato sack, but he's too proud to admit that so openly." Kenji says with a wink at Sasuke.

Sasuke wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that he was witnessing his grandfather try to set his parents up in real time. It would be one thing to hear an accounting of such an occurrence. Seeing it in person though, it was a bit surreal to say the least.

SMACK! Apparently, his father did know how he felt about it though. Fugaku Uchiha was very annoyed by his father's meddling, it seemed.

"Mikoto is absolutely right. You're impossible." He mutters in disgust.

"Pft! Just go ask her to dance. Man up! Are you a Jonin or an Academy Student? Oh and that goes for you as well, Daisuke!" Kenji says cheerfully, completely ignoring the fact that his son had smacked him.

Sasuke blinks. He really didn't know how he had gotten roped into this. He was almost afraid to ask, but he was going to anyway. After all, his grandfather was probably going to elaborate. It wouldn't make much sense, if the old man didn't.

"What goes for me as well?" He asks.

"You're a young, attractive man. Unless you already have a sweetheart, you should find a pretty girl and ask her to dance. This IS a celebration! So go celebrate properly!" The elderly Uchiha states cheerfully.

Sasuke sighs. Damn it. That's when he noticed that Minato and Fugaku were giving him sympathetic looks. Apparently, this kind of behavior was not unusual in the slightest for Kenji Uchiha.

"Alright. I guess it couldn't hurt to ask someone to dance." He concedes.

It wasn't as if Sasuke was stupid enough to fall in love in this timeline. One dance to humor his grandfather was highly unlikely to significantly alter the timeline. He could get through this.

All he had to do was pick out a "pretty girl" that didn't look too psychotic. That shouldn't be too hard. Sasuke mentally slaps himself for thinking such a thing. This was the Leaf Village. It was a rare woman here who wasn't psychotic.

"Ah there is my beautiful wife." Sasuke hears someone say and he smiles as he watches Hiashi greet Emiko.

It was a shame really. Sasuke wasn't really sure how the woman died, but it had been sometime after the birth of her second child. It was the strangest sensation to watch a very much in love Hiashi, greet his wife.

"You flatter me." Emiko says with a sweet smile as she kisses his cheek.

"I speak only the truth. I hope your companions won't mind, if I borrow you for the rest of the evening." He says.

"Oh we don't mind at all." Kushina says vigorously and Mikoto nods her head inn agreement with a knowing smile.

Hiashi thanks them and leads his wife off. Minato seems to take that as his cue to approach his own "sweetheart" as Kenji would say. The blonde offers her his hand and the two of them head off to dance the night away.

"You really should ask her to dance. She's the only one without a partner at the moment." Sasuke mouths to his father.

Luckily, Fugaku was apparently well versed in lip reading or at least body language. Either way, it didn't take the Uchiha terribly long to approach his future wife. Sasuke couldn't hear exactly what was said, but Mikoto smiles and allows Fugaku to lead her off. (He decides to take that as a good sign.)

"Right. So now I just to find a woman who isn't from the Uchiha Clan to dance with. Preferably, one who isn't insane." He says to himself.

That's when he saw Tsume Inuzuka. Sasuke recognizes her as the woman who would become Kiba's mother. Fortunately, she was about the same age as him in this era.

She was attractive in a feral way. He also knew that there was no way that an Inuzuka was seriously going to pursue an Uchiha. His Clan was too closely associated with Ninja Cats for that to happen.

The Inuzukas were a canine loving family. That meant it was highly unlikely that romance would blossom between an Uchiha and an Inuzuka. In other words, she was perfect.

"Hello." He says with a smile as he walks over to her.

He really wasn't used to making the first move or any move, really. Sasuke tended to avoid the affections of the opposite sex (or any sex) because he had more important things on his mind. Tonight was different though.

"Hello. I don't think I've seen you around before. You must be an Uchiha though. I see that uniform." Tsume observes.

She was reasonably attractive, unlikely to want a real relationship with him, and sufficiently intelligent enough not to bore him to tears. Those were all good signs. Sasuke just had to hope that she'd accept his offer.

"Yeah. I am. I'm Daisuke Uchiha. I was wondering if you wanted to dance. I know that your Clan favors dogs and mine favors cats, but we're all Leaf Ninjas. There's no reason why we can't be on good terms." He says.

Maybe she'd go for the logical line more than the romantic one. He highly doubted the she-wolf cared much about romance. She might be a human, but she reminded him more of a wolf than anything else.

"Good point. Well let's see if you can keep up, pretty boy!" She says joyfully as she drags him off to dance.

A few minutes later, Sasuke had decides just to let Tsume lead. It was easier that way. As they were dancing, he noticed a young Obito trying to dance with a girl about his age. He could only assume that she was Rin.

At that moment, Sasuke was struck by epiphany. Maybe he didn't need to stay in the past until he was conceived. If he could prevent Obito's "death" then the man would never plot against the village. The Fourth Hokage and Kushina would live and the village wouldn't blame the Uchihas for the Nine Tail's attack.

"The trigger would never happen." He whispers to himself.

Things had been tense before the Nine Tails attacked the village, but it had been the final straw. Once people began to suspect that the Uchiha Clan was behind the attack, their Clan's fate had been sealed. If Sasuke could prevent Obito's disappearance, maybe he could go home a few years earlier than he had previously thought.

Maybe Obito really did hold the key to preventing the very Massacre that he would help to commit one day. It would certainly be a rather ironic twist of fate. The very thought caused a smirk to form on Sasuke's face.

"What trigger would never happen?" Tsume asks in confusion.

"Oh nothing. I'm sorry. I was just thinking out loud about a mission that I recently completed. Forgive me." Sasuke says.

"Well I can't really hold you're taking your job seriously against you. Yeah. No problem." The Inuzuka woman says as she spins around with him faster and faster.

Sasuke was beginning to get more than a little dizzy to tell the truth. It didn't matter though. He had a plan. The feisty ninja could spin him around as much as she wanted because he might have just have figured out how to save hundreds of lives! Nothing could truly phase him now that he had a plan!

"Have you ever heard of victory that we are celebrating?" Fugaku inquires as he spins the beautiful woman in his arms around.

"I think I have. A long time ago. It might have been covered briefly in one of our Academy Lessons. I think it's a bit odd that suddenly the event is getting its own celebration, but who are we to argue with a night of festivities?" She replies with a smile.

"I suppose that's true. I just think that it's strange that the Hokage decided to get this fanciful idea into his head, after Daisuke returned." He states.

Mikoto sighs and shakes her head. Honestly, Fugaku was being ridiculous. Daisuke had been nothing, but a model Uchiha since his return. What more did the man want?

"Perhaps I should offer you a shoulder rub. They seem to work miracles on your father." The raven haired woman says.

"I would have to be very foolish indeed to turn down such a kind offer, but you really aren't concerned?" He inquires as he caresses her cheek.

"Mmm perhaps a little. He's done no wrong though." Mikoto points out as she allows Fugaku to guide her along the winding streets of the village.

"Yet." He says simply as he watches her spin underneath him.

The way that her hair would flow and the moon illuminated her ivory skkin was nothing short of ethereal really. As much as he was loathed to admit it, his father was right. Mikoto Uchiha would look good in a potato sack.

"You worry far too much." She informs him as she playfully rolls her eyes.

"Well I suppose that it's fortunate that I have you to take my mind off of my troubles and to make me those cupcakes." He muses and Mikoto nods in agreement.

She was five years his junior. While most people wouldn't consider that an extreme age gap, in the ninja world it was. Five years was as lifetime for a ninja.

That was the main reason why he had not tried to court her before. Mikoto was a sassy and playful thing, when she wanted to be. She was also innocent compared to him.

There was a lot less blood on her hands. Quite honestly, he felt dirty in comparison. Fugaku couldn't entirely shake the feeling that he would corrupt Mikoto by sheer proximity.

"That's true, but I can do a lot more for you than just make you cupcakes." She says with a sly smile.

That was why he hadn't acted on his attraction to her before, but he was only human. Who could possibly resist the invitation in her smile or in her words? That and he could always blame the moonlight and the way that damn kimono clung to her feminine curves, later.

"That does open up a world of intriguing possibilities." He says as he leans down and captures her lips with his own.

Unbeknownst to the future lovers, Sasuke had seen that. He breathes out a sigh of relief. It looked like Itachi's conception would happen right on schedule. That was one problem down. A million more to go.


	7. Chapter 7

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 7

A few days later, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure to be relieved or disturbed by the fact that his father was currently walking around the District with his mother and his hand was resting on her backside. Part of him was relived because clearly, it was in his best interest to encourage any sexual attraction between the two of them. His inner child was mildly repulsed though. (No one really wanted to think about their parents in such a manner.)

"This is going to take some getting used to." He mutters under his breath.

"Oh I know. Those two have been dancing around each other for years. I can't believe they finally made it official." Kenji observes and Sasuke almost jumps three feet into the air.

His grandfather was one sneaky ninja. Honestly, he had to be an ANBU at some point. There was no other logical explanation. He could move so silently and mask his chakra so well, that you never knew that Kenji Uchiha was there until he spoke.

"You really have to stop sneaking up on people like that." Sasuke grumbles.

"Well where would be the fun in that? It's amusing to watch everyone's reactions. That and this way you won't get lonely. I am very sorry about your parents. Coming home and finding out that they had both been killed on missions while you were away, must be terribly heartbreaking." He whispers as he places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder sympathetically.

Well that was one mystery solved. The raven haired Uchiha had been wondering why his parents had never greeted him upon his return. It had been something of a relief.

Mikoto might not realize that he wasn't Daisuke, but Daisuke's parents probably would. Thankfully, Kenji hadn't mentioned any brothers or sisters. That meant that he didn't have an immediate family to worry about. Good.

"Yes, I'm still trying my best to move on. It's difficult though. I suppose that I shouldn't be too shocked. Being a ninja is a dangerous occupation. Unfortunately, these things happen more often than not." He says with a practiced wistful sigh.

Kenji nods sympathetically and Sasuke mentally breathes a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had managed to fool his grandfather.

He felt a little guilty about that. Kenji was clearly a nice man, but it had to be done. Sasuke couldn't exactly tell him the truth. Kenji would think he was completely insane.

"So how are things going with you and that Inuzuka girl that you were dancing with the other day?" The elderly Uchiha asks with a mischievous grin.

"They aren't. It was just a dance. She's not really my type. Bit too aggressive for my tastes. She wanted to lead, so I let her." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Oh well that's a shame. It would have been nice if you had found someone. That and it wouldn't hurt for us to branch out a bit. We could stand to make some alliances with the other Clans." Kenji reasons.

Sasuke blinks. It was already starting. The seeds were there. Kenji wanted them to make alliances with other Clans. Likely because he knew how the rest of the village felt about their family.

At least with the other Bloodline Clans, there was a degree of similarity. They all understood how important it was to protect an bloodline. It was both a blessing and a curse that far too often resulted in your family becoming at least somewhat isolationist.

"Maybe. I really think we should try to reach out to other Leaf Villagers though. It's not healthy to keep to ourselves this much." Sasuke says.

"If you're worried about the bloodline becoming too thin, I can assure you that we always take great pains to make sure that marriages are between those who are distantly related enough that it isn't an issue and occasionally we do take in an outsider." He promises him.

That was good to know. Unfortunately, that was the least of his concerns. He had to figure out a way to keep them all from getting killed. Sadly, that was easier said than done.

He had an idea now. Sasuke was almost positive that preventing Obito from going rogue would save hundreds of lives and prevent a ninja war. He just had to devise a way to do that.

"I'm glad to hear that, but that isn't what I was referring to." Sasuke says as he watches his parents head towards one of the shops in the Uchiha District.

"What where you referring to then?" Kenji asks in confusion.

"Our Clan is too far removed from the rest of the village. That means the other Leaf Villagers don't really know us. People fear what they don't know. Frightened people act very stupidly." Sasuke reasons.

He smiles as he saw his father open the door for Mikoto. It was a sweet gesture. At the least, he knew that Itachi was still going to exist in this timeline. That was a start.

"You have reason to believe that the other villagers are going to attack us?" Kenji demands in outrage.

"Nothing concrete. It's more a bad feeling and logical deduction than anything. I believe that we can prevent such a thing. All we have to do is attempt to reintegrate with the rest of the village. We can still live here, but we need to socialize with those outside our Clan more." He replies.

Kenji raises an eyebrow. Well that certainly explained why Daisuke had chosen to dance with an Inuzuka. It hadn't been because he was attracted to her or a fluke decision, but a strategic one.

He didn't know whether to be proud or disturbed that the teenager was that worried about their Clan's future. Of course, Kenji was an experienced ninja. He was well aware that age truly meant little in the grand scheme of things.

"Perhaps there is some merit to what you say. You should speak with Fugaku about this." Kenji suggests.

"I would, but I don't think that he particularly cares for me." Sasuke says with a sigh.

Really, it was heartbreaking. He finally had a chance to get to know his father and Fugaku was suspicious of him. The man had good reasons to be suspicious of Sasuke, but that didn't change the fact that it was hurtful.

"Fugaku is a good man. It just takes him awhile to open up to people. It's likely nothing that you did and highly doubt that it's personal." The elderly ninja promises him.

"Maybe. Well at least he likes Mikoto." Sasuke says, sighing in relief.

"Oh yes. As I said, the two of them were dancing around each other for years. Personally, I think that it was the age gap that concerned him. He saw combat in the previous war that Mikoto didn't. Saw his best friend killed right next to him on the field. He was never entirely the same after that." His grandfather observes.

Sasuke blinks. No one had ever told him that. Though he really should have guessed it. Fugaku had been of combat age during one of the Great Ninja Wars.

"Well I'm glad that they finally acted on their attraction and that's a shame about his friend. You really think that's why he waited so long? He was worried about his hands being too bloody?" Sasuke asks as he tries to wrap his head around that idea.

"Yes, I believe that's the reason." Kenji confirms.

Meanwhile in the present, Hinata gasps. It had only lasted for a second or two, but for a moment she saw something incredible. The Uchiha District was standing once more.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura asks anxiously.

It really wasn't like the other girl to react in such a way. Something very strange must be going on. She hadn't seen anything of concern though.

"It flickered. The Uchiha District flickered. One minute it was mostly rubble and the next it was fully constructed. It didn't last though. It's rubble again." Hinata observes in a terrified voice.

Sakura frowns. Normally, she would have accused the Hyuga Heiress of working too hard. Such a fantastic tale, seemed the stuff of at best fantasy and at worst insanity.

Tragically, the pink haired woman knew better. Anything was possible now that Sasuke had traveled back in time. That thought frightened her. It frightened her far more than she ever wanted to admit out loud.

"It's happening. The timeline is already changing. Quick, we need to write down everything we can about our memories of this timeline. I don't know, if we'll remember anything when it resets!" The medic exclaims.

"Good idea. We should probably find Naruto as well!" Hinata agrees as the two of them race off to do exactly that.

It didn't take them long to find their friend. Naruto was Naruto. He was at the Ramen Shop. He really was that predictable.

Hinata still didn't really understand what was so wonderful about ramen. She liked it well enough, but Naruto could probably eat his weight in it. The Hyuga Heiress just couldn't imagine liking any food that much. She had favorite foods of course, but her enjoyment of them pale in comparison to the blonde's love of ramen.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Naruto asks as he slurps his ramen.

"Naruto, pay for your food. Take it with you, if you have to. We have to go. We need to talk to you in private. It's about the tablets." Sakura whispers to him.

Naruto's eyes widen. He knew what that meant. It was shorthand for the Uchiha Stone Tablets. Which in return was just a roundabout way of talking about Sasuke's time traveling adventure.

"I got it!" The blue eyed ninja says with a nod.

He quickly pays for his food and heads off with his friend. This was bad. He just knew it. The young man had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and he had long ago learned to trust his instincts. (They were usually right.)

"What happened?" Naruto demands, once they were alone and in Sakura's home.

"I saw a flickering. The Uchiha District. One minute it was normal and the next it was fully rebuild. It was gone almost as fast as I noticed it though. I think the timeline is resetting itself." Hinata stammers out.

Naruto gulps. That sounded bad. That sounded really bad actually. The timeline was being altered and they didn't even know how exactly.

"Well that's a good thing, right? If the Uchiha District was rebuilt, that means that the Massacre never happened." Naruto reasons.

"It might mean that it never happened or at least the possibility has decreased. We really don't know." The Hyuga Heiress replies.

Naruto frowns. That much was true. There was no way of telling what was happening back in the past. That was what was so damn frustrating.

"That bastard! None of us can go and help him! We don't have the Rinnegan! So we're stuck here waiting and we can't do anything!" The Leaf Ninja growls.

Sakura sighs. That was accurate. It was also very much like Sasuke. It was as if the last Uchiha was just simply in capable of asking for help.

"That's true, but we have more important things to worry about than grumbling about him! We need to write down our memories. We need to write down as many as we can. We might not remember what happened before the timeline was changed." Sakura warns Naruto.

He blinks. That was a good point. What if they just completely forgot about this timeline?

"Yeah. You're right. Let's get started." Naruto says as he sits down on the couch.

"I'll grab some paper and pens to write with." Sakura says and with that, she darted further into her house.

Hinata watches as their friend swiftly departed to grab what they would need. A growing feeling of unease was settling in the pit of her stomach. They really didn't have any idea what was going to happen.

The not knowing was the worst part. If they knew, they could plan. They didn't though and all they could do was prepare for the inevitable collision of the timelines in the best way they knew how. Recording their memories on paper.

Back in the past, Fugaku smiles as he bought Mikoto some candy. That was probably the stupidest thing he had ever done in his entire existence. She got a lollipop.

Their relationship was entirely too new for such a test of will. Never again! Fugaku Uchiha was never going to get her another!

"You sure that you don't want one?" Mikoto asks innocently.

"I'm sure. I'm sure." He assures her rather quickly.

Mikoto tilts her head to the side. He was acting a bit strangely now. She shakes her head and decides that it was likely just nerves. They had just started courting, after all.

"You don't need to be so nervous. We've known each other for years." She reasons.

"Good point. Yes, exactly." Fugaku Uchiha agrees with his future wife.

Thank goodness that she didn't realize the sheer sensual torture that she was subjecting him to. He was never live it down. He knew that much.

"Well l think that you're right. I should probably try to get to know Daisuke." He says.

"Oh. Alright. Well I'm glad that you've decided to give him a chance. I'll see you tomorrow then?" She asks as she kisses his cheek.

"I look forward to it." Fugaku promised her, before departing.

Mikoto shakes her head. She didn't really understand why he had left so suddenly, but maybe he was just shy. That wasn't an adjective that she would have ever associated with him before, but anything was possible.

Fugaku sighs as he heads off to find Daisuke. Now that he had said that to Mikoto, he was morally obligated to seek the other man out. That and if he didn't, he knew that Mikoto would find out.

"Daisuke, do you have a few minutes?" Fugaku asks.

That's when he notices that Daisuke was speaking with his father. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Now his father was likely going to make a bigger deal out of this than was necessary.

"Yes, of course. Do you mind, Kenji?" Sasuke inquires.

"Oh no. Of course not. Don't worry about it. I'm sure that you two have plenty to talk about and I might browse some of the shops. Maybe, I'll find something nice for Aiya." He says with a grin as he heads off.

"He's quite the character." "Daisuke" observes in amusement.

Fugaku couldn't argue with that. His father was one of a kind. He was quite positive that there would never be another person quite like him and that was probably a good thing.

Kenji Uchiha was a wonderful man. Truly. He was, but Fugaku didn't believe that the world could handle two of him.

"Yes, that much is most certainly true." He concedes in the interests of accuracy.

He had a twin, but Fugaku didn't really count that. There were never two brothers who were more different than each other. They were identical in looks only. It was easy to tell them apart as soon as one of them opened their mouth.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sasuke asks.

Fugaku sighs once more and drags Sasuke back to his apartment. He was certainly not going to have this conversation in public. He wasn't entirely certain what was going to happen, but he knew that he didn't want anyone else to overhear their discussion.

"This is my home. I promised Mikoto that I would speak with you and that's exactly what I'm going to do." He says.

"Well you just spoke to me. So you kept your promise. If you like, I can go now and we can just pretend we had a heart to heart?" Sasuke suggests.

"As tempting as that offer is, I can not accept it. Mikoto would know. Believe me, that woman would know. I think that you know that I have my suspicions about you." He states bluntly.

Sasuke did know that. He just wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this. He had to think of something and quickly.

"Yes, I'm aware that you don't particularly care for me." Sasuke mutters.

His mother had once told him that he was all his father talked about when they were alone. As a child, he had believed that and been happy. Now, he was pretty sure that Mikoto had just made that up to make him feel better.

"It's not about liking or disliking you. It is about the fact that I know that there is more to you than meets the eye. You were barely a Chunin and got assigned some top secret mission that lasted for years. When you came back, you were AT LEAST at Jonin level. Sometimes you stare at our kin as if they were ghosts. I want to know what is really going on." The Uchiha Patriarch continues.

Well Sasuke couldn't deny that Fugaku was likely being honest in his assessment. Brutally honest, really. He certainly didn't like that he had to decieve his father, but it was necessary.

"You don't think that I would have gotten stronger while I was away? That my training wouldn't have improved my skill level?" Sasuke asks.

"Training can help, but most people do not improve to that degree in such a relatively short time period. If you had been gone ten years, I might believe it. You weren't gone nearly long enough. That and the way you look at all of us. I want the truth and I want it now." He states.

Damn it. What was he going to do now? His father wasn't going to stop until he got some sort of answer.

"Fugaku, I'm asking you to just leave it. Have I actually done anything wrong?" He demands.

"Not to my knowledge, but that doesn't mean that you haven't." Fugaku says as he charges at Sasuke and slams him against the wall.

That was it! If he had to play rough to save his Clan, he would. It was a pity really. He had always wanted to really train with his father, beyond the traditional Fireball Jutsu. Unfortunately, this wasn't working out in the way that he had envisioned.

"You sure you want to pick this fight?" Sasuke demands as he activates his Mangekyo Sharingan.

He was grateful when he realized that it was still functional in this era. His Rinnegan was gone, but he could make due with an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

"You have the Mangekyo?" Fugaku asks in a whisper.

The Sharingan was impressive enough. This was even more so. Daisuke wasn't even twenty and he possessed one of the most developed Shairngans in their entire Clan.

"Yes, I do. Now let go of me. You don't want to fight with me. The others will notice, if we clash." Sasuke hisses at him.

"I don't want to fight you, but I will. You're going to tell me the truth." Fugaku says as he activates his own Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Sasuke sighed as he clashed with his father. Soon they were on the floor. The two of them were exchanging kicks, punches, and even biting. They were too furious to even bother with jutsus. It was just a straight out animalistic battle for dominance.

At the end of the day though, Sasuke knew that Fugaku was his father. He couldn't seriously injure him. The other Uchiha didn't have that same handicap. Sasuke held back just a little bit and the Patriarch takes advantage of that fact.

"You're going to tell me now or I'll slit your throat. I'll say you attacked me." Fugaku warns him.

"You won't do it." Sasuke says as he spits out a bit of blood.

His father had a vicious left hook. It was impressive really. He definitely favored Taijutsu.

"Don't think that because you possess Uchiha blood, that I won't do it. I'd do it to protect our Clan as a whole." Fugaku says as he places the kunai against his throat.

"Would you really kill your own son?" Sasuke demands.

"What the Hell are you talking about?! You're 17. I'm 25. You are far too old to be any child of mine!" Fugaku retorts as he holds the kunai against his throat tighter.

It unnerved him, but he felt like he had been kicked in the gut. There was a certain truth to his words, despite how unbelievable they were. How was that even possible? He wouldn't have even been ten when Daisuke was conceived.

"If you want a DNA test, I can prove it. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to alter the timeline in unforeseen ways, but you kept pushing. Mother is right. You're stubborn." Sasuke mutters.

Timeline. If Daisuke really had come back in time, that would explain their ages. How though? How was such a thing possible?!

"How did you do it and why are you here?!" He demands.

"The Uchiha Stone Tablets. They can only be deciphered fully by a Rinnegan. I had one in the future, I don't have it in the past though. It wasn't easy. As for why I'm here, I'm here to make sure that something bad doesn't happen and you're just going to have to trust me." He retorts.

Fugaku didn't like the sound of that. Daisuke was going to alter the timeline. It sounded like he was going to alter it in a significant fashion at that.

"I hope you understand why that answer is unsettling to me." He mutters.

"I understand perfectly, but there's no other way." He says.

"That does explain a great deal though. That's why you have her face. You're our son. You look just like her." He observes as he stares at Daisuke with new eyes.

His contribution was far more subtle than Mikoto's. It was there though. Little things. His ears, the structure of his jaw, and even his build to a degree.

"You were holding back at the exams." He states bluntly.

"Yes, I was. That doesn't matter now. You can't tell anyone. Not even mother." He says.

Fugaku stares at the man who would become his son. In a way, he was relieved. He know knew that he would sire at least one child with Mikoto. A healthy and gifted child at that, even if he was extremely reckless.

"We're dead in the future. Neither of us would have ever allowed you to do such a thing." Fugaku observes with a whisper.

Sasuke winces. He didn't want to tell his father that. He could tell that the other man knew though. His reaction had said it all.

"Yes, but not for awhile. Not ever, if I can fix things." He says.

"You're quite clever to have pulled off this ruse for as long as you did, but you're also reckless. It's a wonder that you ever made it to this age." Fugaku observes with a chuckle.

"There's some truth to that. Itachi always did call me his foolish little brother." Sasuke says with a laugh.

Fugaku blinks. Itachi? Foolish little brother. Make that at least two sons. At least the other was observant enough to realize Sasuke was reckless.

"I shouldn't have said that." Sasuke whispers as he realizes his mistake just a moment too late.


	8. Chapter 8

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I don't know what the Hyuga Estate actually looks like. So I made up a description. It may or may not be cannon. **Warning some parts of this chapter are serious and some are pure fluff/silliness.**

Chapter 8

A few days later and suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle were all starting to fit together. Fugaku hadn't completed the puzzle that was "Daisuke," but now he at least he had a fairly good idea what was really going on. Daisuke was here to prevent something bad from happening.

He wouldn't come out and say what exactly, but it was implied. He and Mikoto were dead by the time their son was 17. How long they had been dead was still something of a mystery though.

"Just how strong are you really?" Fugaku asks once they were patrolling the streets of the Leaf together.

"Strong enough that if I wasn't holding back, you wouldn't have won that fight." Sasuke says.

It probably wasn't a good idea to say that. His father was clearly a very proud man. He didn't want to lie though. Fugaku would likely see through a lie anyway. There was no point.

"And Itachi? He's older than you." The Uchiha Patriarch asks.

"You know that I can't tell you that. I probably shouldn't even tell you about my strength, but I'm here. You'll find out one way or another. It'd be better, if I didn't tell you anything about Itachi. You already know a lot more than you should." Sasuke says with a sigh.

He couldn't blame Fugaku for being curious. Sasuke knew that he would also be fishing for information, if the roles were reversed. That didn't make it any easier though.

"Well you can't blame a man for trying." Fugaku says with a chuckle.

The younger Uchiha was both relived and more worried than ever at the same time. He was relieved because someone else besides the Third knew about his secret. It was liberating in a strange way, but he was also worried.

His father was curious. Very curious. There was also the chance that he might tell Mikoto. Sasuke doubted that he would do so on purpose, but it might slip out and that thought terrified him.

"You're right. I can't. Damn it. Looks like a bar fight." Sasuke says with a sigh as he hears the sound of a scuffle.

"Unfortunately, that's probably the most common problem in the Leaf. Many powerful ninjas have been brought down by gambling, drinking, and women. Remember that last part. It's especially important." Fugaku informs him as they head towards the fight.

Sasuke smirks. Those three things had never thrown him for a loop. Sasuke had a lot of regrets in his life, but he'd never indulged in the Big Three.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY GIRL!" A man snarls at another.

Fugaku shakes his head. Honestly, this was beneath him and "Daisuke." He still didn't know what Daisuke's real name was. He was determined to find out though.

He knew that he had at least two children though. He wasn't entirely certain if it was just Itachi and "Daisuke" or not but he knew that Itachi was older than Daisuke. That was something. Now he just had to finish putting together the pieces of the puzzle for a more complete picture of what had gone wrong in the future.

"Alright. Alright! Break it up." Fugaku says.

"Uchiha, stay out of this! This is between me and this pervert!" The other man snaps at him.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Oh this wouldn't end well. His father was not the most patient individual and it didn't take long for Fugaku to prove it.

SLAM. Fugaku hurls the man against the wall. Sasuke knew that this was likely his version of gentle. He didn't hear any broken bones, but he did cough up a bit of blood.

"I'm the Chief of the Leaf's Military Police Force. It is my job to keep the peace. If the pervert's attentions are unwanted and he starts fights, I will book him. Otherwise, you can take this someplace more private. I'm not going to have someone's business destroyed because you two couldn't settle your differences in a peaceful manner." Fugaku states.

Sasuke was pretty sure that his eyebrow couldn't go much higher. His father wasn't saying that they couldn't fight. He was only saying that they couldn't fight in public. Interesting.

"This man is crazy. I wasn't even touching his girl!" A second man says.

"I don't care who started it! I'll finish it! Daisuke, will you kindly escort these two "gentleman" out?" Fugaku inquires.

Sasuke nods. He quickly grabs them both by their arms and drags them out. He was somewhat ginger with the injured one, but the young ninja was certain they got the point anyway. He'd rather not have to actually discipline them.

"I suggest you two kiss and make up. If you can't do that, then find somewhere else to bicker. No one cares about your petty relationship issues." Sasuke hisses at them and activates his Sharingan.

They weren't a threat. He estimated that they were probably Chunin. They certainly didn't act like Jonin.

He could swat them like bugs, if he wanted to. It wouldn't be a fair fight. There was no honor in that.

"Holy shit! It's the Demon Eyes!" The other man screams in terror.

Sasuke shakes his head. He couldn't believe these men were actually ninjas. Had things between his family and the rest of the village already gotten that bad? The mere sight of the Sharingan was enough to make them scream?

"Yes, it's the Demon Eyes. If you don't want us to finish your fight, you'll go home now." Sasuke says and with that, the two men take off running.

"I'll be the first to admit that our role within the village is not always a glamorous one. It's important though." Fugaku says with a heavy sigh as he walks over to Sasuke.

The younger Uchiha simply nods his head in agreement. That much was true. Unfortunately, it might also prove to be their downfall one day.

"I was thinking that I would like to be a Sensei. I know that I'm young, but I'd like it." He says.

"Well there is a training program for it. They're rather strict about who they will let take on a squad of Genin for obvious reasons. If that's something that you wish though, I can speak to the Hokage on your behalf." His father says.

It was the least he could do. Fugaku couldn't believe that he had actually been considering killing his own son. In his defense, he had no way of knowing that at the time. Still the Uchiha Patriarch couldn't help but feel a tremendous sense of guilt at the knowledge that he had almost killed Daisuke.

"That would be great." Sasuke says with a smile.

Now that Fugaku knew the truth, he was warming up to him more. Sasuke knew that it was going to take awhile for the other man to process everything. That was okay. They were finally beginning a new chapter in their relationship.

Honestly, the first chapter had barely gotten started at all. Sasuke had been so young when his parents died. He barely knew his father. He could remember Mikoto better though.

"Good. Come on. Let's get home." Fugaku says and with that, the two men begin their trek back to the Uchiha District.

Meanwhile back in the present, Naruto was freaking out. He didn't just see that, did he? There was no way that could possibly be real.

Yeah he had seen his parents before, but those were different circumstances. They weren't actually alive, alive. This was different. He had seen his mother.

"Sakura, did you see that?" The blonde asks his friend warily.

"Did I see what? Naruto, are you alright? You look like you saw a ghost or something." The medic inquires anxiously.

The Leaf Ninja wasn't entirely certain that he hadn't seen a ghost. Naruto had seen his mother. It was just a flash. She was gone as quickly as she came, but he was sure of it.

"You know how Hinata thinks she saw the Uchiha District?" He asks.

"Yeah. I know. I think she really saw it. Normally, I would have said that she was imagining things. With Sasuke in the past though, anything is possible. Wait. What did you see?" The pink haired woman inquires anxiously.

"It's not what I saw. It's who I saw." Naruto says as he glps.

Damn it. Sasuke really was changing the future. That or at least he was trying to. It was a damn good thing that they had written down all their memories. It didn't look like they were going to have much time left.

"Who did you see?" His teammate asks him nervously.

"I saw my mother. I mean it! It didn't last long. She was there and then she was gone. It was like the Uchiha District. I think he's really doing it. That or at least starting to change things." The blonde replies.

Sakura bites her lower lip. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She knew why Sasuke had gone back in time, but there was no way of knowing if he would be successful.

What if he wasn't successful? What if the Uchiha Massacre happened anyway? What if other family was massacred instead? What if they never won the war because of this? Would there still be a war?

"I don't like this. There are way too many questions. We have no idea what is going to happen." She says forlornly.

Naruto nods in agreement. He couldn't believe that the bastard had been this reckless. On second thought, he could. Sasuke had always been reckless when it came to Itachi and his family. Perhaps this wasn't entirely unexpected.

"We should probably talk to Hinata about this. She knows the truth too! We brought her into this and she needs to know what's going on. Almost everyone else would just panic. Without another Rinnegan, we can't send anyone after him." Naruto says with a heavy sigh.

This was worse than when Sasuke had gone to the Sound. At least then, Naruto had been able to follow. He couldn't follow his friend back into the past though. The only thing that any of them could do was wait.

It was the waiting that drove him the craziest. If only he knew what was about to happen, at least they could prepare for it. At this point though, they had nothing.

"Yeah. You're right. Let's go." Sakura says as the two of them quickly made their way to the Hyuga Estate.

Naruto didn't think that he would ever really get over how grand the Hyuga Estate was. It was like something straight out of a fairytale. It was massive with white marble columns and vast grounds.

The beautiful and stunning scene didn't stop there though. Beautiful Japanese gardens and even the occasional fish pond could be seen here and there. Not to mention all the training grounds and statues. All in all, it was nothing short of speculator.

"It's beautiful." Sakura says in a whisper.

"Yeah. It is." Naruto agrees.

Well at least he wasn't the only one who was more than a little awestruck by the grandness of the Hyuga Estate. It looked like Sakura was a swell. That was something at least.

It didn't take them long to get to the front entrance. Fortunately, it was being guarded by one of the hundreds of Hyugas who lived on the grounds. There wasn't just one house. There a massive mansion in the center and there were at least a dozen or more smaller houses. Clearly though, Hinata had to live inside the mansion.

"Ah Naruto. Sakura. It is always an honor to see you both. How may I help you?" The Hyuga man asks as he takes a bow.

Sadly, Naruto couldn't recall his name for the life of him. Most of the Hyugas tended to look alike to him. He knew that was horrible to say, but it was the truth.

"We need to see Hinata. It's really important." The blonde says.

"Of course. Right this way. Please follow me." The other man says as he leads them inside the building.

A few minutes later, they were led into Hinata's room. Hinata smiles and greets them. The Hyuga man quickly dismisses himself and shuts the door behind them.

"Can we talk privately here? Can't the Byakugan see through walls? Could they overhear us? How thick are the walls?" Sakura asks.

"It's safe. My family places a high value on privacy." Hinata assures her and the other two Leaf Ninjas sigh in relief.

That's when Naruto noticed something. Hinata was wearing a necklace. A rather beautiful necklace that he had never seen her wear before.

It had a silver chain. The center piece was in the shape of a fan. The fan's top was red and made out of a ruby. The bottom was made out of a large diamond. In the center was what Naruto assumed was obsidian stone to "cut" it in half.

"Hinata, where did you get that necklace?" Naruto asks.

That was definitely the Uchiha Symbol. Why was Hinata wearing a necklace that was clearly from Sasuke's family? It didn't make any sense.

"I wanted to tell you guys, but I didn't know how. This morning, something strange happened. It was even stranger than the District." She mumbles.

"What happened?" Sakura asks, noticing Naruto's alarm at the necklace.

Apparently, he had good reason to be worried. That was definitely not a Hyuga Necklace. What the Hell was going on?

"I woke up and I went to get some breakfast. I sensed someone behind me. That's when I felt them put this one me. Whoever it was, kissed my cheek and then they were gone." She explains.

Uh oh. That didn't sound good. Now these visions or whatever they were seeing, could actually physically interact with them?! That wasn't a good sign. Naruto winces as he realizes the potential consequences of this development.

They might not be able to keep Sasuke's time traveling adventure a secret at this rate. He wasn't sure why someone would give Hinata an Uchiha Necklace, but the next vision might not be as friendly. This wasn't good.

Back in the past, Sasuke and Fugaku were now back in the Uchiha District. Fugaku had wandered off with Mikoto. Sasuke took that as a good sign. He'd talk to his father later. After all, Itachi's conception took priority.

"There he is." Sasuke whispers to himself as he sees Obito running around with some other Uchihas.

It was hard to believe that kid was going to almost bring about the end of the world. He looked no different from the other kids really. He was just chasing after a ball with some friends.

Sasuke sighs as he realizes that apparently, almost everyone started out as innocent. He had been innocent once. Eventually, he'd be innocent again when he was "reborn."

"There's no use in thinking about it. I'm only going to give myself a headache." He says and with that, he approaches the kids.

"Hello." Obito says innocently.

"Hey. You're Obito, right?" Sasuke asks casually.

Well at least on the outside, he was casual. On the inside, Sasuke wasn't feeling very casual. He couldn't screw this up. This kid was the key to saving his entire family.

"Yeah! You're Daisuke! Everyone's been talking about you since you came back! What was it like? Being away from home for so long?" Obito asks.

"Lonely. I got a lot stronger though. Speaking of that, why don't you come with me? I'll help you practice your Fireball Jutsu." Sasuke suggests.

"Really? Do you really think that I can do it?" He asks excitedly.

Sasuke almost felt guilty. He was using this kid. Then again, Obito would grow up and slaughter about half of their Clan. The kid might be cute now, but eventually he would plunge the entire world into war. Well he would, if Sasuke couldn't find a way to stop him.

"I don't think that you can do it. I know you can. It just takes some practice. Well usually it takes a lot of practice." Sasuke assures him as he leads the kid off.

Mikoto smiles as she walks around the District with Fugaku. He was doing a security sweep. She often went with him on these now.

During the day, he tended to patrol the Leaf or polish off the paperwork. At night, he spent most of his time with her. Before he was truly free though, he did a sweep.

"That's sweet. I didn't realize that Daisuke had a soft spot for kids." She muses as she walks around with him.

"Neither did I. I have to admit that lately, he has surprised me." The Uchiha Patriarch says.

It really all did make sense now. The reason why Daisuke resembled Mikoto to such an eerie degree was because she was his mother. Not his cousin. Truthfully, it was something of a relief to know the real truth. Well at least part of it. The worst thing in the world was not knowing what was going to happen. Now he did. Well sorta.

"I'm glad that you two patched things up. He does seem like a nice boy." She says as she kisses his cheek.

"Yes, I was just a bit suspicious. Daisuke has been gone for so many years. For him to turn up like that was…unexpected. He is a good officer though. He has expressed an interest in getting his own Genin Team." Fugaku continues and he smiles at the chaste kiss.

She nods sympathetically. That was certainly true. Mikoto had been more than just a little baffled herself by his sudden reappearance.

"I know. Damn. I probably should get home and feed Tsuki." She says.

"Oh believe me. That cat can certainly fend for itself, if worse comes to worst. I'll come with you though." He says as he heads towards her apartment.

"I think you just want an excuse to get me alone. So you can seduce me properly." She teases him.

With that being said, Mikoto slides the key into her door and opens it. To say the least Tsuki did not look pleased. That little feline was sitting on the couch and giving her the dirtiest look that she had ever seen.

"I know that you are in heat, but that doesn't mean that you should forget to feed me!" She meows.

Mikoto feels her face burn bright red in embarrassment. She and Fugaku had just started courting not that long ago. They certainly were at the part where she could be considered "in heat" yet.

"BAD, TSUKI! BAD!" She scolds the kitty.

"Don't you bad Tsuki me! You're the one that forgot to feed me. Just because you're out playing with the tomcat now, doesn't mean you should forget my tuna!" She says cheerfully as her beautiful tail swishes behind her in anticipation of her most glorious impending meal.

"If you keep this up, we're going to find out if cats really do have nine lives. Come on. I'll get you your tuna." She grumbles and takes Tsuki to the kitchen.

Fugaku chuckles. Well he hoped that Tsuki was right about that heat comment. Both for his personal enjoyment and for their sons' sakes.

A few minutes later, Mikoto comes out and shakes her head. She couldn't believe her ninja cat had pulled something like that. Honestly, you would think that she was starving or something.

"Sorry about that." She says as she wraps her arms around Fugaku's neck and kisses him.

"Well if her throwing a hissy fit ends up with me getting to feel your lips against mine, I don't particularly mind." Fugaku says with a smile, after returning the kiss.

"Mmm who knew you could be such a romantic. I always figured that you were more of a cuffer." Mikoto muses.

Fugaku tilts his head to the side. He had no idea what she meant by that. What was a cuffer?

"What's a cuffer and why did you think that I was one?" The older ninja asks.

"Well you know, handcuffs. A cuffer is someone who likes to put handcuffs on people. I always figured that you were more direct than romantic." She tells him.

"My God woman, you are going to be the death of me! I'm trying to be a gentleman and then you go and start talking about deviant ways to use handcuffs!" He says.

Mikoto smiles and pushes him on the couch. Once that was accomplished, she sits in his lap. The look on his face was priceless.

"Well you don't always have to be a gentleman. We have known each other since I was twelve." She tells him.

"IN HEAT! I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE IN HEAT!" Tsuki says and Mikoto just tosses a pillow at the feline.

Tsuki hmpfs and heads back to the kitchen for her tuna. Humans could be so strange sometimes. She loved her Mistress, but she would never fully understand humans.

Elsewhere Sasuke was teaching Obito the Fireball Jutsu. It was the trademark of their Clan. He figured he wasn't doing any harm by teaching him this one. He would have learned it anyway.

"You need to focus more. You have the will, but your chakra is a bit erratic." Sasuke instructs.

It was the strangest feeling. One day, he had figured that he would be teaching his sons (or his daughters) this jutsu. He hadn't expected to be teaching it to a man who had killed half their family.

Well a man was as stretch. Right now, Obito was a harmless seven year old. Sasuke just had to make sure that it stayed that way. He wasn't going to allow the Massacre to happen again.

"FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" Obito calls out and a puff of smoke blew out of his mouth.

"Well you got the technique down mostly. It comes from your belly. You know the expression fire in your belly? In this case, that's exactly what you are aiming for." The elder Uchiha informs him.

Sasuke wasn't sure if elder was accurate. His body was certainly older, but Obito had been born a long time before him. He dismisses that thought though. It would only give him another headache.

"From my belly? Alright! FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" He calls out again and this time a flame bursts forth out of his mouth.

It was a moderate flame, but it would do. Obito's eyes certainly lit up and Sasuke smiled. He couldn't believe that he was smiling at Obito's happiness, but he was.

"Good job. You're now considered an adult by Uchiha Clan Standards." Sasuke tells him.

"Yes! Thanks! I can't wait to show Rin and Kakashi! Kakashi is going to be sooo jealous!" Obito says happily.

Sasuke nods encouragingly and with that, Obito took off. That's when Sasuke realized something. If Obito didn't "die," Kakashi wasn't going to get his Sharingan. With that lovely thought, suddenly his headache returned with a vengeance.

Why did life have to be so complicated? All he was trying to do was save his family and all these threads kept getting tangled together. Oh well. Kakashi would just have to suck it up. He could live without his Sharingan. Sasuke wasn't going to live without his family again.


	9. Chapter 9

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Oh and there may be times when certain events happen sooner or later than expected or perhaps not at all. That is all for the sake of plot flow and explained by the fact that "Daisuke" is there. I would think that his presence would influence things in unexpected ways. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 9

"You're trying to tell me that you can use the Fireball Jutsu? That's impossible. Even Genin can't use that. You'd have to be at least at Chunin Level. I know you are from a Fire Clan, but there's no way that you can do that yet." Kakashi says.

"Kakashi! Obito wouldn't lie to us!" Rin says sweetly.

The three of them attended the Academy together. Kakashi and Obito were rivals, but the two of them were both friends with Rin. Unfortunately, that meant the young brunette often had to play a role that most seven year olds weren't particularly good at. The role of a peacemaker.

"Yeah! I'm not a liar!" The Uchiha says sulkily.

"Alright then. Prove it. Go ahead. Show us the fireball." Kakashi says.

There was absolutely not way that he could do this. Obito's chakra control was average at best and that was being charitable. His chakra was so wild an erratic. He doubted he could concentrate long enough to make the hand seals, let alone to actually produce fire.

"I will! Watch this! FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" The young ninja says and with that, a medium sized fireball was produced with quite a bit of smoke to go along with it.

Kakashi just gapes. How had Obito of all people managed to perform a Jutsu that was clearly Chunin Level? He shouldn't have enough charka for that. He knew that Obito was from a Fire Clan, but this was ridiculous!

"You did it! That's really cool!" Rin exclaims in delight.

"Yeah! Thanks, Rin! See, Kakashi? I told you that I could do it!" Obito says smugly.

He tilts his head to the side. Someone must have helped him. That was the only logical explanation. Probably his parents.

"Yeah. You did it. I have to give you credit. I never thought that you'd be able to do that with your current chakra levels. So who helped you practice? Your mother or your father?" The silver haired boy asks curiously.

"Neither. It was another member of my Clan. His name is Daisuke." Obito says brightly.

That was unexpected. From what Kakashi understood, it was usually someone's parents that taught them the Fireball Jutsu. Then again, Obito was so young. It was unlikely that it would have ever occurred to his parents to start training him in the Uchiha Clan's Trademark Jutsu.

"That was nice of him. I'd like to meet him. Do you think he'd agree to meet us?" Kakashi asks excitedly.

After all, any ninja child wanted to learn more Jutsus. It was only natural that he would be excited to meet someone who could control fire and was apparently willing to train someone his age. In his defense, Rin looked equally excited about such a prospect.

"I don't know. I'll have to ask him." Obito says with a samile.

"Thank you, Obito! This is going to be amazing! Maybe, he'll teach us how to make fire too!" Rin states, beaming.

"We'll have to see. He might not want to teach someone who isn't an Uchiha." Obito says nervously.

Rin and Kakashi look at each other. That was a good point. The Uchihas were rather insular.

"Will you ask him though? For us?" Rin asks with a sweet smile.

"Yeah. I'll ask him! I'd do anything for you. Not so much for Kakashi though. I'm going to laugh when he finds out I'm better at Fire Style than him!" The young Uchiha says cockily and with that, he darts off.

Kakashi shakes his head. He couldn't believe that Obito of all people could now breathe fire. That just seemed wrong. Well at least he and Rin might have a chance to learn the technique as well. That would be amazing!

Meanwhile back in the present, Kakashi's eyes widen when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Rin? It couldn't be though. Rin was dead. She had been for years.

"Rin?" He calls out in shock.

The woman turns around and smiles at him. She places her fingers to her lips in a shushing motion. As quickly as he saw her, she just faded out of thin air.

"Did I really just see that?" He asks himself.

That's when he caught the scent of wildflowers. Rin always smelled like wildflowers and there was no reason for his office to smell that way. It had been real.

"Why do I get the feeling that Sasuke is somehow behind this?" He says with a sigh as he rushes off to find the Leaf's Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja.

He quickly finds Naruto. After doing so, Kakashi's sense of dread only increased. Why was his former student looking at him with a worried look? This couldn't be good.

"Naruto, what is going on?" He demands, once they were alone.

"Who or what did you see? I know you saw something. Well maybe you saw someone. I saw my mother. Hinata saw the Uchiha District and well someone gave her a necklace. She didn't see who. He was behind her. Well at least we assume it was a him." Naruto says in a rush.

Kakashi stiffens at that admission. He had seen Rin and the others had all seen something or someone. Well besides Sakura. Though by the sounds of it, that was likely only a matter of time.

"Why didn't you tell me that this was going on?" He demands.

"We didn't want you to worry. That and we can't do anything about it. If the Hokage is seen stressing out, that will cause a panic!" Naruto defends his reasoning.

The silver haired ninja couldn't exactly argue with the blonde's logic there. If this was all because Sasuke had gone back in time, there was nothing they could do. They couldn't even go after him.

"Well let's hope that everyone else and all the other changes that are about to happen are all as positive. Thus far, everything has been rather benevolent in nature. We have no way of knowing if that will continue to be the case though." The Hokage says with a sigh.

He didn't like it. Kakashi didn't like the feeling of helplessness that had settled in his gut. In some ways, this was worse than the war.

This was worse than facing Obito. At least during that battle, he knew what he had to do. Here he didn't have a clue. Sasuke was meddling with things that they could scarcely even begin to understand.

"Yeah. I know. We're all really worried about it." Naruto admits.

"I don't know how it was for the two of you, but Rin was aware of my presence. She saw me and made a motion for me to be quiet. At least in her case, the timeline has changed just enough for her to be aware of her surroundings." Kakashi says.

Naruto bites his lower thoughtfully. It was still a sore subject for him. He had always wanted his parents back. This time it might be for good. He didn't want to "jinx" that by speaking too soon.

"I don't know. I saw her and then she was gone. I would have thought that I was imagining it, if it wasn't for what Hinata had seen and I didn't know that Sasuke had traveled back in time." He admits.

"That's understandable. Wait. Did you say that one of these "visitors" gave Hinata a necklace? Does that mean the necklace didn't disappear with the visitor?" He asks.

"Yeah. It's a pretty expensive looking one too. We should probably go tell Sakura and Hinata about what you saw." The other ninja suggests.

Kakashi nods in agreement. Wonderful. So Sasuke was really beginning to alter the timeline. That or at least make it shimmer a bit. There was no way of telling what would really happen in the end.

The fact that objects from these visitors were staying in the modern era, concerned him though. That could leave open the possibility of an attack.. What if some of their enemies were unintentionally revived? What would they do then?

"Naruto! Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura calls out.

She was in the Ramen Shop with Hinata. The pink haired woman had always thought that Hinata was a nice, though extremely shy girl. It was because of that shyness that they hadn't really been close before the war.

Things were different now though. They shared a powerful secret. A secret that might even change the world in ways that the war hadn't been able to. If that didn't form the foundation of an actual friendship, Sakura didn't know what would.

"Ah there you are. It seems that we have a great deal to discuss. Naruto tells me that you were recently given a gift, Hinata? A piece of jewelry?" Kakashi inquires politely as he and Naruto sit down next to the two women.

"Yes." Hinata says shyly as she reaches underneath her Jonin vest and shows Kakashi the necklace.

"That's the Uchiha Symbol. We know one thing then. Whoever visited Hinata, had to be an Uchiha. That or they are suicidal to use that symbol so blatantly." He muses.

Hinata nods. She had thought about that. A lot. If Sasuke did wind up saving his Clan though, well the Uchihas were a big Clan. They were roughly on par with her Clan when it came to numbers. There were potentially hundreds of Uchihas who could have given her that necklace.

"Do you think it was Itachi or Sasuke?" Naruto asks Hinata.

"Naruto! Don't be stupid! It could be any of the Uchihas. If she saw District still standing, that implies that he's close to preventing the Massacre. It could have been any of them. Do you know how big Sasuke's family was before the Massacre?! They were big enough to get their own District! They had their own fields!" Sakura tells him.

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement. He knew that deep down, Sakura was inclined to agree with Naruto. She just didn't want to believe it was from Sasuke.

He wasn't entirely certain, if Sakura was sincerely holding out hopes that somehow they would be together. It might have been as much out of habit as anything else. Kakashi decides to stay silent on that particular issue for now.

"Yes, it could be from any of them. Sasuke is altering the timeline in ways that he might not have foreseen. He went back in time to prevent the Massacre. The Massacre happened years after Kushina's death though and an even greater number of years, after Rin's." He observes.

Kakashi was suddenly rather grateful that he had long ago soundproofed this booth. It was the one that Naruto used the most.

They could discuss this out in the open and the other guests wouldn't hear them. Most wouldn't be suspicious because it was a crowded restaurant. Who cared, if one table was more quiet than the others?

"You're right. The timeline isn't matching up. He should be too close to the present to have any impact on Rin and Kushina." Sakura says with a frown.

"He overshot." Hinata mumbles.

"He what? What do you mean he overshot?" Naruto asks Hinata.

She fidgets nervously. Hinata didn't really like being the center of attention, but she was at the moment. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"He went further back than he wanted. Instead of going back in time until just before the Massacre. H-e must have gone a l-ot further back than he intended. Far enough back that he had the option to s-ave your mother and Kakashi's friend." The bluenette says in a rush.

"Unfortunately, I think Hinata might be right. The further back he went in time though, the more he can meddle. Whether it's intentional or not, the fate of a lot of people is now in his hands." Kakashi says with a sigh.

Back in the past, Mikoto smiles in amusement as she saw Sasuke attempting to teach the Fireball Jutsu to a bunch of seven year olds. Fugaku might deny it, but even he was obviously enjoying the show. She smiles more and snuggles into his arms.

They were on one of the Clan's training grounds. When the three of them had shown up with their puppy eyes, they had all just been powerless to resist. Fugaku had wavered for a moment, but decided that they would all likely have learned the technique anyway.

The Fire Style might have been their Clan's Trademark Jutsu, but many ninjas would eventually learn how to use fire. Daisuke was just teaching (or trying to teach) the children how to perform the famous Jutsu earlier than usual.

"I can see why he wants to become a Sensei. He does seem to like children." She says with a smile.

"Yes, he does. He takes after you in that respect." Fugaku says as he kisses her cheek.

Mikoto tilts her head at the odd phrasing? He takes after her? That was usually something that people would only say about their parents or maybe their grandparents. Maybe, it had just been oddly phrased.

"What do you mean by that?" The dark beauty asks.

"I mean he's your cousin. He takes after you in terms of personality." Fugaku clarifies quickly.

Hmm. Mikoto wasn't sure that she bought that. He said it a little too quickly. Fugaku was nervous about something, but she wasn't sure what.

"I suppose so." The Uchiha woman replies as she kisses his cheek back.

"Watch the hand signs." Sasuke tells the group of seven year olds as he performs the necessary signs.

He tried to do it slowly enough for them to follow. Obito was only seven. He didn't have the Sharingan yet and neither did his teammates. He was dealing with some very excited kids. That meant that he had to act like it.

It was a strange feeling. Sasuke had never really spent much time around kids. Even when he was a kid, he tended to stick to his Clan before the Massacre. After the Massacre, he hadn't interacted with his peers much. Not unless he had to.

"I got it!" Rin says excitedly as she tries to copy his hand signs.

She was certainly enthusiastic. Sasuke had to give the girl that. She was doing pretty well, but she mixed up two hand signs.

"You're very close. The first and second signs you did, should be reversed though." Sasuke says encouragingly.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Kakashi caught on a smidge quicker. It was surreal. He was teaching his future Sensei how to throw a fireball. Could his life get any weirder?

"Got it!" The Mini Kakashi calls out as some smoke starts to form from his mouth.

He was only a child. It wasn't surprising that his chakra levels weren't high enough yet. Really, it was nothing short of impressive that he managed smoke.

"That's the right technique. You just need slightly bigger chakra reserves to perform it completely. They'll develop naturally with time." Sasuke assures him.

Fugaku smiles. He would rarely use the word cute, but the scene was rather cute. Sasuke was obviously trying to be gentle, but he seemed a bit bewildered by the concept of children. He chuckles and holds Mikoto closer.

She was going to be his wife and was going to give him at least one healthy son. Probably two healthy sons. That and he didn't know if they had stopped with Itachi and "Daisuke." They might have more.

"You're much more cuddly now. I knew that the cuffs would help." She whispers mischievously into his ear.

Most of the time she was a very sweet woman in public. Perhaps a bit sassy. In private though, the kitten quickly became a tigress. Fugaku certainly would have no issues conceiving Daisuke and Itachi.

He hadn't really wanted to leave the bed that morning. Alas, he had responsibilities that he couldn't put off. He was the Chief of the Military Police Force and the Head of the Uchiha Clan. So while it was tempting just to spend the day with his lover, today wasn't that day.

"Well that is because you are a very smart woman." He says as he playfully bites her neck.

Daisuke was distracted by the other children. It was strange. A few days ago, he would have definitely considered Daisuke to be a man. Finding out that he was his son had changed that.

Now he considered Daisuke a child. A child who had apparently suffered a great deal. People generally didn't risk time traveling, if they were happy with their present. What could have happened to him to make him willing to take such a foolish risk?

"Mhm and don't you forget it." She giggles.

Sasuke hears that giggle and gives his parents a funny look. Strike that. His life could get a lot weirder.

He was happy that they were together now. That meant that Itachi and him would be born. It just didn't matter how many times he saw them together, together though. It was very strange to watch your parents like that.

Sasuke knew that was a childish reaction. He'd get over it eventually. He wasn't really sure that he wanted to know what Fugaku had said or done to elicit an "Academy Girl Giggle" from his mother though. He decides to file that firmly under the _**I Don't Want To Know Category.**_

"Okay! I'm going to try again." Rin says.

After a few more tries, Kakashi and Rin were able to successfully produce fireballs. They were rather small ones though. Smaller than Obito's.

Sasuke pawns that off to the fact that Obito was an Uchiha. His chakra was naturally more closely associated with fire than theirs. He had been bred for Fire Jutsus. The other two children, just didn't have that evolutionary advantage.

"Great job!" He praises them.

Sasuke couldn't help but feel a smidge guilty over how happy they all look. They all looked so proud of themselves. He knew that he was using them, but it was for a good cause. He quickly tries to squash the feelings of guilt that were threatening to bubble up and sets off to walk them home.

"Thanks, Daisuke! It was really nice of you to teach us how to use fireballs." Rin says.

"No problem." The older ninja replies.

"I can't wait to show my father." Kakashi says and that causes Sasuke to freeze.

Damn it. While Sakumo wasn't really connected to his Clan any direct way, he was still the father of his Sensei. Sasuke was already here. There was no reason why he shouldn't try to save him, if it was possible.

"I'm sure he'll be very impressed." Sasuke says as he walks them home.

Back in the Uchiha District, Mikoto and Fugaku were still lounging around at the training grounds. Neither of them was in a particular hurry to leave. Mikoto had decided Fugaku was her new bed and was currently quite happy to snuggle into his arms and half doze off.

"You've turned me into your pillow." He muses.

"I suppose that you could say that. A very sexy pillow though?" She offers with a quiet laugh.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. If anyone else had called him a pillow, he probably would have thrown a fireball or two at them. Not Mikoto though, especially not after the night before.

"I suppose I can live with that. Provided that you aren't foolish enough to address me as such in public." He tells her.

"Mmm I'll think about it. I think that it could be funny to watch your reaction, if I did." She says as she gets up and darts running off, laughing.

"That woman is definitely going to be the death of me." He mutters as he takes off after her.

A few minutes later, the chase had led them out of the Uchiha District. Minato blinks as he sees Mikoto come racing by him and Kushina. Shortly there after, Fugaku did likewise.

"I guess this means that they are official now?" Kushina asks her boyfriend.

"It looks like it." Minato agrees as he licks his ice cream.

He was happy for them. It was about time really. The blonde definitely recognized when couples were playing around. Kushina often chased him like that.

His girlfriend was more aggressive than Mikoto in some ways. More assertive. Mikoto was seemed perfectly happy to just lay out a trail of "breadcrumbs" and wait for people to come to her. Kushina didn't have that kind of patience.

"Do you think that they'll invite us to their wedding?" The red head asks.

"I would say so. I would even wager that there's a better chance than not that she'll ask you to be her Maid of Honor." He says with a smile as he kisses her cheek.

Minato didn't mind though. He liked Kushina's more direct approach. She was just so passionate about well everything. There was never a dull moment with her. That's just one of the many things that he loved about Kushina Uzumaki.

"That's be amazing! Do you think Fugaku would ask you to be his Best Man?" The other ninja asks.

"Possibly. It is Fugaku. So it's hard to tell. He might want to choose another Uchiha to be his Best man. You know, for appearance sake?" Minato replies thoughtfully.

Kushina nods. That was a good point. She couldn't believe it! Her best friend had gotten what she always wanted.

Like her and Minato, it was a childhood romance. Well sorta. There were days when Mikoto would recount the day Fugaku saved her from her attackers in quite the animated fashion.

"That's a good point. We should probably get more ice cream." She suggests and Minato nods in agreement.

"Alright." He replies and as they were heading to the shop, they saw Daisuke back on his way to the District.

"Daisuke! There you are! Do you wanna join us? We're going to get some more ice cream!" Kushina informs him as if this was a very important matter and to her, it probably was.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't really expected to be invited to eat with Naruto's parents. He knew that he should probably say yes. Minato would be Hokage one day. If Minato lived and liked his Clan, that would improve their chances of survival.

"I'd love to. Thanks for inviting me." He says, flashing a smile.

The young Uchiha was still getting used to smiling regularly. At some points, it was forced. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice.

"You're welcome. So what's your favorite flavor?" Minato asks cheerfully as they head off together.


	10. Chapter 10

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm really happy to see this story getting more attention than I thought it would because I know it's a pairing that doesn't get much screen time in the show or in stories. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I had one reviewer tell me that Shisui would be about four during this time period. So I'm just going to assume that's accurate.

Chapter 10

A few weeks later and Sasuke was speaking with the Third Hokage. He certainly wasn't Danzo level of evil, but the grandfatherly image was at least partially a front. A front that he wasn't going to fall for.

Oh Sasuke was sure that Sarutobi would have preferred to be the doting grandfather and kind elder that he portrayed himself to be. Unfortunately, that wasn't the whole story. There was another side to his personality. The manipulative one.

"And you can't tell me why? You can't tell me why you don't want Sakumo to go on this mission?" The elderly ninja inquires, once more.

"No. I'm afraid that I can't. You know the reason why. I don't want to risk altering the timeline." Sasuke insists.

He knew that it had to be hard on the Third. The man knew so little of what was really going on. It was better that way though. Sarutobi was clever enough to interfere with Sasuke's plans and that was just something that he couldn't allow to happen. Too many lives were at stake.

"Daisuke, you are asking me to place a great deal of trust in you. This isn't just a celebration like the last time. You are now interfering with what missions I assign." The Hokage states.

Sasuke frowns. He knew that he was certainly stepping on Sarutobi's toes. It was only natural that a Kage wouldn't like someone telling them what to do. They were used to being in charge. This couldn't be easy for him.

"I know that. I appreciate the celebration, but trust me. This is for the best. Please, do not assign this mission to Sakumo." The Uchiha pleads with him.

Sarutobi sighs. Once again, Daisuke was asking him to do something without explaining why. He didn't particularly care that he was constantly being left in the dark. The Hokage was certain Daisuke had his reasons, but that didn't make it any easier to stomach.

"I don't like this. This is the last favor that I am going to great you without more of an explanation. I understand that you can't tell me everything, but I would like too know some things. Surely, you can understand why. I have an entire village to think about." The Third Hokage informs him.

"Yes, I completely understand why." Sasuke replies as he ponders Sarutobi's words.

Was this the last favor that he would need? He didn't know. Sasuke didn't think that there was anyone else who needed to be saved, but there likely was. More and more people just kept popping up.

He had gone back in time with the intention of saving his family. Somehow that had morphed into saving Kushina and Minato as well. Not only that, but he was also going to try save Sakumo. There was likely someone else that he was forgetting, but he couldn't for the life of him think who.

"Then you agree to my terms?" Sarutobi asks.

Sasuke frowns. He certainly didn't like it, but he didn't really have any other choice. He NEEDED Sarutobi to be on his side. The man was Hokage and knew his secret. Making an enemy out of him would be an unwise move to put it lightly.

"I agree to your terms." Sasuke says as he shakes the other man's hand.

"Good. Well then, I suppose that we have an understanding. I shall assign someone else to this mission. Is there anything else that you need?" He inquires.

"Not at the moment. I'll let you know, if that changes though." The raven haired Uchiha says.

Sarutobi nods approvingly and with that, Sasuke leaves his office. He sighs in relief. Well at least Kakashi's father wouldn't die. It felt good to know that he had saved at least one life on this mission. Now he had to figure out a way to save his Clan and Naruto's parents. Oh and Rin.

"Please be sure to do so." The Hokage calls out as Sasuke leaves.

Meanwhile Fugaku smiles as he enjoys his picnic with Mikoto in one of their fields. The Uchiha Clan may have been mostly a Clan of ninjas, but they also had some farmers. Mostly those farmers were composed of retired ninjas, but active ninjas did occasionally chip in.

They were currently in a strawberry field. The berries were in full bloom and it was a beautiful day. He had never thought himself very good at romance, but he figured that it was as good a setting as any.

"It's beautiful here, especially when the strawberries are in full bloom." Mikoto observes as she sits next to her lover and cuddles into him.

Fugaku Uchiha was a proud man. Mikoto knew that. She understood that. That was why she knew that he would never allow anyone else to know that he enjoyed cuddling as much as she did. That and the cupcakes.

As far as she could tell, those were really his only little quirks that couldn't be considered strictly masculine. Though honestly, the dark haired beauty didn't understand why men pretended they didn't like cuddling. Most of them were lying to preserve their masculine pride. (Well at least that's what she thought.)

"Yes, it is. Not nearly as beautiful as you are, but it's still quite lovely." Fugaku agrees.

"Mmm you can be quite sweet, when you want to be." Mikoto tells him with a slight blush as she kisses his cheek.

It had taken years, but she had finally done it. Mikoto Uchiha had finally gotten him to notice her. She wasn't entirely certain why it had taken so long, but she was happy that she was finally successful in her self-appointed mission.

"I suppose that's true. Though let's keep that a secret. Just between the two of us. No one else needs to know." The other Uchiha says with a sly smile.

"Mhm. My lips are sealed with your lips." Mikoto tells him and with that, she proceeds to kiss him in a far less chaste manner.

Fugaku smiles and returns the kiss. He was trying to propose to her, but Mikoto could be so damn distracting. Oh well. A few minutes of stolen kisses couldn't hurt. He doubted that was going to alter the timeline too much.

He smirks when he pulls her fully into his lap and cups her backside. Yes, she could be very distracting. Extremely so really. That was one of the reasons why he had chosen such a large field that was on the outskirts of the District. It was highly unlikely that anyone was going to stumble upon them here.

"Good. I'm glad. May that always be the case." He whispers, after breaking the kiss.

Fugaku smiles as he caresses her cheek. Mikoto kisses the palm of his hand and he knew that he had made the right decision. Even without Daisuke's arrival, he would have known that she was the one for him.

"Mmm I hope so." She says with a smile.

"I wanted to talk to you about that actually." Fugaku says as he reaches into his kunai pouch.

"Talk to me about what?" Mikoto replies in confusion, not at all sure where he was going with this

Fugaku smiles as he pulls out a small black velvet box. He could see that Mikoto was eyeing it as curious as her beloved ninja cat. Her eyes were always so expressive. It was amazing, really.

"That always being the case. I know that we haven't been courting very long, but we have known each other for years and though it's been a relatively brief courtship, I know what I want. I want to be with you as man and wife." He states simply and with that, he opens the box.

Inside was a beautiful ring. It had a large heart-shaped ruby. Framing each side of it was a large diamond and the rest of the front half of the silver band was covered with smaller diamonds. The back was stainless silver.

"Fugaku, it's beautiful!" Mikoto cries out in shock as she covers her mouth in surprise.

"Is that a yes?" He asks smugly, rather pleased that she liked the ring.

"Yes, it's a yes!" She says as she embraces him tightly, knocking him over.

Fugaku could only smile in response. He couldn't complain about the view. Sadly, he knew that this was only the first part of the proposal. There really shouldn't be any secrets between a man and his wife, especially not their when it concerned their children.

Elsewhere Kenji smiles as he watches his wife bake some cookies. The woman certainly could cook. Not only was she a beautiful and powerful ninja, she was second to none when it came to baking. The only person who came close was Mikoto.

"I see that smile, Kenji Uchiha." Aiya states as she checks on the cookies.

"Is a man not allowed to smile, simply because he is enjoying the glorious view of his wife preparing culinary delights?" He inquires slyly.

"Mmm a man is certainly allowed to smile whenever he likes. I just hope that he isn't foolish enough to believe that he is going to sneak one of these cookies before dinner." She tells him with no small amount of mirth.

Kenji smiles and places his hand over his heart as if he was mortally wounded. His wife could be quite feisty. That was just one of the many reasons why he loved her.

"You wound me, My Love. I would never do such a thing." He informs her.

"Of course." Aiya says skeptically as she sees Daisuke enter the kitten.

"Exactly. Daisuke, would you kindly vouch for my character? My wife is beseeching my good name. She seems to believe that I would sink to the level of stealing a cookie from the kitchen before dinner." The elder Uchiha says with mock somberness.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. This type of behavior was rather typical for his future grandfather. Sadly, his memories of his grandparents had sparse before coming back to the past. Though Kenji and Aiya were unwittingly more than willing to make up for lost time, it seemed.

"Kenji would never do such a thing. I'm appalled that you would accuse him of trying to sneak a single cookie from the kitchen early. We both know that he wouldn't settle for anything less than half a dozen." Sasuke says smugly.

"See? That's a smart boy right there!" Kenji says smugly and Aiya just laughs.

Well she was laughing until a young boy darts inside the kitchen. He quickly snatches a cookie and flickers off. Sasuke blinks at the strange scene.

"What the Hell was that?" The young Uchiha inquires.

"Oh that was Shisui being sneaky. He's only four, but somehow he's figured out how to use the Body Flicker Technique. He's become quite good at it and uses it to get into all kinds of mischief. I don't have the heart to yell at him. I mean it is a rather useful technique. It's a good thing that he's getting so much practice in." Aiya reasons.

Sasuke blinks. Shisui? Shisui was the name of Itachi's best friend. He had been known as Shisui of the Body Flicker. Damn. He had always heard that the man was a prodigy, but he hadn't realized that he had apparently started being so at such a young age.

"Yes, that's true. It's a very useful technique." Sasuke agrees and Aiya nods in approval.

"Speaking of useful techniques, I imagine that we'll be adding a daughter to our family soon." Kenji tells Aiya.

Aiya raises an eyebrow. Her husband must be out of his mind. She was well beyond her childbearing years. That didn't even make any sense. They would be adding a daughter to their family? What did that even mean?

"I think that I may have smacked you around a few too many times during training. I am most decidedly not pregnant." She retorts.

"Oh I didn't mean that. I meant that Fugaku is going to propose to Mikoto." He says with a smile, positively beaming at the news.

The female ninja blinks. Whatever she had been expecting her husband to say, that certainly wasn't it. Then again, this was Kenji Uchiha. Impossible things came out of that man's mouth nearly every single day, almost without fail.

"What makes you say that?" Sasuke dares himself to ask.

If so, that was a very good sign. It was a signal that Itachi's conception was likely right on schedule. That meant that his own conception was probably on schedule. Still he had to be sure.

"Oh I saw him out in the village today. He was visiting the jewelry shop." Kenji says with a wink.

"That's wonderful news! Oh I've always wanted to have a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, back then things were too dangerous. I couldn't risk being pregnant for a second time during those times of conflict. I can't wait to officially welcome her into our more immediate family." Aiya says with a smile.

At this reaction, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder how Aiya would react if she knew the truth. What would she say or do, if she knew that he was her grandson? Honestly, he wished that he could tell his grandparents the truth. He really did, but the raven haired ninja knew that he couldn't.

"Yes, it was a shame. Oh well. Fugaku seems to enjoy being an only child anyway." Kenji observes with a smile of his own.

On the other side of the Leaf Village, several young children were currently at the ice cream stand. They had all used their allowances or mission money to buy some ice cream. Naturally, the conversation drifted towards Daisuke.

"He really taught you all how to use a Fire Jutsu?" Kurenai asks, sounding impressed as she licked her strawberry ice cream cone.

"Yeah!" Obito exclaims excitedly as Rin and Kakashi nod in confirmation.

"That sounds very youthful! Do you think the Hokage will make an exception for him?" Guy asks cheerfully.

Kakashi frowns as he considers it. Well Daisuke was young to be a Sensei, but clearly he was good at it and they were a little short on instructors at the moment. Maybe Lord Sarutobi would make an exception?

"I'm not really sure. He's an Uchiha so that doesn't exactly work in his favor." The silver haired boy observes with a sigh.

"I don't really get why that should make a difference." Asuma says with a frown.

Rin shakes her head sadly. She knew that it shouldn't matter, but the Uchihas were highly isolated. She used to think that was entirely by choice, but then she met Obito.

He was anything but secretive or shy. That still confused her to this day. Was the rest of his family like him or was Obito just a bit of a black sheep in that Clan?

"They keep to themselves. I'm not sure that many would trust him with their kids." The brunette admits.

"That's not very youthful! Though I have to admit, their eyes kinda creep me out." Guy mumbles.

There were a few nods of agreement. Kurenai and Obito both flinch. Obito was because he was an Uchiha and Kurenai because her eyes vaguely resembled the Sharingan in color.

"Oh come on! You guys know that's not what I meant!" Guy protests.

"I think I'm gonna head back." Obito says as he pays for his ice cream and heads off.

"Obito! Wait! Don't go!" Rin says and he shoots her a forced grin.

"It's okay. I have to do my chores anyway. If I don't, my parents are going to freak out again. You know what nags they can be." Obito says as he flits off.

Guy sighs. He hadn't meant to hurt the other boy's feelings. Suddenly, he gulps when he sees that several of his friends were glaring at him.

"I told him that I didn't mean it that way. I'll go talk to him though. I'll let him know that I didn't mean it. His eyes aren't freaky." He says with a sigh.

"That's better!" Rin scolds him and Kakashi just chuckles.

Rin was a very sweet girl. Well she was a very sweet girl most of the time. That was until you got on her bad side. Then she became very scary. That and everyone knew the fastest way to get on her bad side was by making one of her friends sad. Kakashi was suddenly really grateful not to be Guy.

Back in the Uchiha District, Fugaku sighs. He really didn't know how Mikoto was going to take this bit of news. Still he didn't want to start of their marriage with a giant secret keeping them apart.

"Fugaku, what's wrong?" Mikoto asks, once she noticed a sudden shift in his mood.

"It's not that something is wrong exactly, but it is complicated. I want us to always be honest with each other. There should be no secrets between a man and his wife." He begins cautiously.

"I agree, but you're starting to scare me. What's causing you to worry so?" The Uchiha woman demands as she bites her lower lip nervously.

She had rarely seen him actually worried. Fugaku Uchiha was a man who didn't relax easily, but very few things truly made him anxious. If something was bothering him, it had to be something serious.

"It's about Daisuke." Fugaku continues.

Mikoto raises an eyebrow. What did Daisuke have to do with their engagement? Surely, he wasn't going to accuse her of having feelings for the younger man. Not after he just proposed to her!

"Yes, what about him? I thought that the two of you were getting along better now." The dark beauty replies warily.

"Well to begin with, it's highly unlikely that his real name is Daisuke. Oh he's an Uchiha. There's no denying that, but he isn't Daisuke Uchiha." Her lover says.

The young woman stares at Fugaku as if he had grown another head. How could he be so romantic one minute and then so confusing the next? What on Earth had gotten into him?

"That's a rather serious charge to make! You're accusing him of impersonating another Clan Member!" The Genjutsu Specialist says.

"I know it's a serious charge, but I can prove it. If necessary, I can arrange for a paternity test to be done." The Uchiha Patriarch assures her.

"If you don't believe that he's my cousin, who do you think Daisuke really is?" Mikoto dares herself to ask.

Fugaku pauses. This was the moment of truth. He knew after this point, there was no going back.

There was a very good chance that she would think he was insane. That or that he was playing sort of cruel joke on her. Neither of those options boded very well for their engagement. He could only hope that somehow, he'd be able to convince her of the truth.

"I don't know his birth name, but I know who his parents are. Well I suppose that I should say that I know who his parents are going to be." Fugaku states.

"You know who his parents are going to be? Fugaku, that doesn't make any sense. Is this some kind of sick joke?" The Jonin growls at him.

"It's not a joke. I assure you that I am not nearly that creative. Daisuke traveled from the future back to our time." He explains.

Mikoto blinks. She had been so happy when he proposed, but now the young woman was rather worried for his mental health. Perhaps she should get him to the hospital. It wouldn't really be fair to expect him to marry her, when he wasn't in control of his mind at the moment.

"Fugaku, maybe we should get you some help. I know that you have been through a lot, especially during the last war. It's not uncommon for ninjas who have suffered blows to the head to have hallucinations." She assures him.

"I'm not hallucinating! Daisuke is our son! Well he's going to be our son! I know that it sounds crazy, but I wanted to be honest with you. The last thing that I want is for our marriage to start off on a foundation of anything, but honesty!" He snaps at her.

The Uchiha woman could only gape at Fugaku. He sounded so sincere, but his words were those of a madman. Daisuke couldn't possibly be their son. He was seventeen and she was 20. Fugaku was only 25. They weren't nearly old enough to have a child of Daisuke's age. The math just didn't add up.

"You believe that Daisuke is our son from the future?" Mikoto asks incredulously.

"I don't believe it. I know it. Mikoto look at that boy. He looks identical to you. You can't tell me that you haven't noticed the physical similarities." Fugaku insists.

Mikoto bites her lower lip. It sounded so incredible. On the other hand, her lover had never lied to her before. That and why would he make something like this up? What was there to gain?

"He does look like me and I feel oddly protective of him." She confesses.

"Exactly. You know that I'm telling you the truth. Mikoto, I love you. You know that. I wouldn't have proposed to you, if I didn't. I would never lie to you. Not about something like this." The Uchiha Patriarch assures her.

"I think that I believe you, but what are we going to do about it?" She whispers.

Fugaku frowns as he takes her hand in his. He sighs and holds it in a gesture of reassurance. Sadly, the Uchiha man didn't think that he had a good answer to his future wife's question.

"I don't know." He whispers.

Meanwhile back in the present, Kakashi frowns. It was getting harder and harder to come up with suitable excuses. More and more people were seeing things that they shouldn't or worse, people.

Thus far, he had been able to prevent a widespread panic from forming. The visuals or whatever one wanted to call them, generally didn't last for long. They disappeared just as quickly as they came. So it was a relatively easy matter to convince people that they were imagining things.

"I wish that we could be persuaded that easily, but we know the truth." Kakashi says to Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata.

The three of them nodded. Though it didn't escape the silver haired Hokage's notice that Hinata's hand was constantly dipping below her Jonin Vest. She was checking to ensure that her necklace was there.

"Hinata, I don't think that it's going to disappear now. If it's stayed this long, that it's fairly safe to say that it's not going to shimmer off with the other visitors." The Hokage informs her.

Hinata feels her face burn bright red in embarrassment. Kakashi had caught her playing with her necklace. Worse than that though, he knew at least partially why she was doing so.

"Well you can't really blame her. It's pretty rare for someone to go back in time and even rarer for someone from the past or future to give you a gift." Naruto reasons.

"Hinata, did the person who gave you that say anything to you at all?" Sakura asks.

"I don't think so. They just placed it on me and kissed my cheek. It was definitely a man though. He was taller than me." She offers.

"That's not really saying much. Most men are taller than you, Hinata." Naruto observes.

 _SMACK!_ Sakura couldn't help it anymore. She had been on edge every since finding out that Sasuke had foolish gone back in time. That lame joke had been the last straw.

"Owe! What was that for?!" Naruto demands.

"You aren't helping! Focus! Unless the Nine Tails knows a way for us to follow him back into the past, we need to focus on how to keep this a secret from everyone else." She hisses at him.

"Alright! Alright! I got it. Believe it! We'll figure something out. We always do." Naruto assures her with a sunny smile.

Sakura sighs and nods. She really wanted to believe that. Every other time that they had gotten into trouble, somehow Naruto had managed to save the day. There was a chance that he could do it again.

She just couldn't see how though. Naruto couldn't travel back in time. He had no way of knowing what Sasuke was up to in the past. All they could do is brace for impact. Sooner or later, the timelines were going to collide and that thought terrified her.


	11. Chapter 11

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** There is a Bachelor Party scene in this chapter. I put warnings up before and afterwards. I don't think anything too outrageous happened, but boys will be boys. If that's not your thing, you can easily skip the scene without it altering the plot.

Chapter 11

The next day, Mikoto smiles as she is surrounded by a large group of Uchiha women. Only moments before, she had made the mistake of leaving her apartment with the beautiful piece of jewelry still on her finger. One of her fellow Uchiha women had noticed it and the rest was history.

"He proposed?! I never would have thought him to be one for a whirlwind romance. You two haven't even been courting a year!" Amaya inquires.

Mikoto smiles and was about to respond to that, but she never got the chance. Amaya's innocent question suddenly triggers a barrage of questions from the other women. Some of their questions were innocent and others made even Mikoto blush.

"Are you pregnant?! Is that why he proposed so quickly?" Tanya inquires.

"Yes, he proposed. No, I'm not pregnant. Honestly, Tanya! I can't believe you would even ask me that. I'm a grown woman. I know how two take the proper precautions!" The dark beauty replies in outrage.

That was apparently the wrong thing to say. Mikoto knew the moment that the words left her mouth that she had just made a big mistake. She had basically told them that she was Fugaku's lover. The questions were never going to stop now!

"Ah ha! So you admit that there is the possibility that you could have gotten pregnant!" Tanya states.

Mikoto groans. She most certainly did not want to discuss her love life in the middle of the street with her fellow Clanswomen. Really, did they have no sense of decency?

Amaya was one thing. That fifteen year old Chunin was mostly still innocent. Her beautiful brown doe eyes and long midnight black hair came with an angel's face. Mikoto didn't mind her questions. On the other hand, Tanya was a completely different matter.

She was Amaya's older sister. Her curly dark brown hair reached to her shoulders and her onyx eyes were currently sparkling with mischief. Mikoto only had to take one look at her to know the truth. If she couldn't find a way to make a polite exit soon, her love life with Fugaku would be the talk of the Leaf Village by Sundown.

"Ladies, please excuse me. I'm afraid that I need to borrow Mikoto for a moment. The Hokage wishes to speak with her." Daisuke says as he walks over to them.

The women pout, but quickly depart. Mikoto sighs in relief. That had been a close one. Though it was a little embarrassing to be rescued by her own son, considering the direction that the conversation had been going in.

"Are they always like that?" Sasuke whispers as he begins to guide her out of the District.

"Well they love to gossip. Most women do, but this is a special occasion. Fugaku proposed to me." She says happily and with that declaration, Mikoto proceeds to show Daisuke her ring.

"Oh that much I knew. I guess they are just happy for you, but they were getting more than a little annoying." The other Uchiha mutters.

"Wait. How did you know that Fugaku had proposed to me?" Mikoto inquires, feigning surprise.

Of course he knew. This man wasn't her cousin. He was her son from the future. Mikoto wasn't sure how she didn't see it before. Fugaku was right. Daisuke certainly favored her when it came to looks.

"Kenji said that he saw Fugaku go into a jewelry shop. He put two and two together and told me when I went to visit him and Aiya." Daisuke replies.

That made sense. Mikoto didn't think that Daisuke was lying about that part, but now she knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. He knew that they were engaged now because they were married in the future.

Now that she knew that Daisuke wasn't really Daisuke, all the pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place. Daisuke looked like her because he was her son. He smirked like Fugaku because he was his son. Daisuke was a ridiculously talented ninja likely because again, he was their child.

"Oh that makes sense. Did Lord Sarutobi say what he wanted?" She asks as they continue walking.

"He didn't want anything. I lied. They were going after you like a dog gnawing at a bone. It was annoying. I figured you'd be glad to get away from them. The only reason that I led you out of the District was so they wouldn't be able to tell that I was lying." Daisuke explains.

He was also clever and apparently, more than willing to engage in a little deception to get his way. That last part did worry her. Then again, Daisuke was a ninja. A ninja had to be familiar with deception. Both by using it and by seeing through it.

"You can be rather sneaky." She muses.

"I guess. Though I think that's a ninja trait in general. We wouldn't be very good at our jobs, if we were all open books." Daisuke says with a shrug.

Daisuke. That likely wasn't his real name. It was quite clever of him to choose a missing Uchiha as his fake name. He was also damn lucky that Daisuke had gone missing in the first place.

Mikoto couldn't help but wonder what he would have done, if that wasn't the case? Would he have come clean? Would he have pretended not to be an Uchiha?

"That's true. Speaking of open books, you and Fugaku seem to be getting along better now." The dark haired beauty observes.

"Yes. I think that working together probably had something to do with that. We're comrades now. That and we had a talk. I think that we understand each other a little better now. I'm happy for the two of you." Daisuke says with a small smile.

It was a small smile, but it was genuine. Mikoto was sure of that much. It was the kind of happiness that one just couldn't fake. That smile made her heart ache.

It must have been difficult for him. Daisuke had to lie to everyone about who he was. He couldn't confide in anyone, except for Fugaku and he had only been able to do that recently.

"Thank you. I hope that you'll be able to attend the wedding." Mikoto says with a smile of her own.

Life could be very strange. Her fully grown son might be able to attend her wedding before he was even born. Actually, strike that. He hadn't even been conceived yet.

That did raise more questions though. Was Daisuke an only child? Did he have any brothers or sisters? Was he the eldest, the youngest, or a middle child? Oh and most importantly, WHEN had he been born?

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Daisuke promises.

Meanwhile Obito sighs. Guy wouldn't stop following him around. He didn't want to deal with him. He knew that Guy hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, but he had.

He was proud of his Clan's eyes. They were powerful, but with that power came a price. The price was isolation. Outside of his family, he rarely interacted with many of his peers. The only exceptions were Rin and (unfortunately) Kakashi.

"Hi, Obito!" Shisui says cheerfully as he Flickers into view.

"Shisui, what are you doing here?" Obito asks in confusion.

He knew that the younger Uchiha had recently learned how to use the Body Flicker Technique. The kid seriously had made a habit out of popping up everywhere. Usually he did so at the most inconvenient times to boot!

"Flickered to eat my cookie." He explains with a smile as he begins to do exactly that.

Obito rubs the back of his head sheepishly. He was only seven. The young ninja knew that he wasn't that much older than Shisui, but suddenly three years felt like a lifetime.

He couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for Shisui. Right now, he was completely innocent and naïve. He had no idea how their Clan was viewed by the rest of the village. Things wouldn't stay that way for long though.

"Ah there you are! Look, Obito. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I should have worded that better!" Guy exclaims.

"Guy. It's fine. Really." The young Uchiha assures him.

Honestly, he just wanted to avoid the other kid. Guy was the least of his problems. There were others who would say far worse than that about him and his family, but that didn't meant that he had to voluntarily associate with such people.

"No! It's not fine. It wasn't very youthful! To show you that I mean it, I'll run 100 laps around the village as punishment!" He exclaims.

"Alright. Cool! You go do that!" Obito tells him.

"I will! For the Power of Youth and Forgiveness is amazing!" Guy states and with that, he races off.

Shisui blinks as he continues eating his cookies. That boy was weird. Really, really weird.

"Bushy Brows is weird." The younger Uchiha observes.

"Yes. Yes, he is. Guy's heart is in the right place though. Well at least I think it is. Come on. Let's go home." Obito says with a smile as he extends his hand to Shisui.

"Okay!" Shisui replies cheerful and with that, the two Uchihas quickly head back to the Uchiha District.

Meanwhile back in the present, more and more "visitors" kept arriving. That and they were coming faster and faster. Thankfully, so far it had only been flashes.

That didn't change the fact that Kakashi was at his wit's end. He had no idea how he was going to keep this a secret for much longer. It was a damn good thing that his hair was naturally silver or the stress would have turned his hair gray by now.

"I don't know, Kakashi Sensei. It's getting pretty bad. Some of the civilians are starting to see things too. Sasuke must be doing something. I don't know if it'll end up being a good thing or a bad thing, but he's changing the timelines." Naruto says.

"Kakashi, there's something you should know. I saw another one today." Sakura whispers.

This causes the silver haired man to groan and rub his temples. He knew that it wasn't Sakura's fault. His former student was only trying to brief him, but that was most certainly not what he wanted to hear.

"Who did you see?" He dares himself to ask.

"Your father. It was brief. He was wandering around the streets and seemed to be looking for someone. I think he might have been looking for you." The medic tells him.

"That's impossible. My father died years ago. Well before Sasuke was even born." The Hokage whispers in a stunned voice.

Despite the impossibility of such a claim, it rang true though. The young woman wouldn't lie to him. Kakashi knew that he could trust Sakura. That and Hinata's earlier words rang in his ears. _**He overshot.**_

"Hinata wasn't kidding when she said he went too far back. Do you think that it's possible he's trying to save more people? Do you think that the bastard is trying to save your father and my parents?" Naruto inquires.

It didn't seem like a very Sasuke thing to do. He had always been fairly cautious by nature, when it didn't involve his family. On the other hand, his friend had been reckless enough to go back in time. Anything was possible.

"I think that it's very possible. Sasuke has a lot of knowledge that could save many lives, if he so chose to use it for that purpose. It would explain what you saw and what Sakura saw. It would explain why I saw Rin." The CopyCat Ninja observes.

"Yeah. I guess that's true. Hey, wait. Speaking of Hinata, has anyone seen her?" The blonde suddenly asks.

"I think that this situation is getting to her. She requested a few days off duty. Considering everything that is going on, I granted it. She should be at her family's Estate." The Hokage answers him.

Naruto pauses as he considers that. That made sense. Hinata had the right to be spooked. So far she was the only one of them who had actually gotten TOUCHED by a visitor!

At that same time, Hinata sighs as she walks around her family's home. It was a grand estate. There were many places where one could "get lost," if they wanted to and that's exactly what she was aiming for.

"It's really happening." She whispers to herself as she clutched her necklace.

It was beautiful. There was no denying that, but it also gave her some comfort. So far, all of the visitors had been friendly. What worried Hinata most was what would happen when one of them wasn't.

"Sister, you really shouldn't frown in such a fashion. It doesn't suit you. What's wrong?" She hears a velvety voice inquire.

Immediately, Hinata activates her Byakugan. She didn't recognize that voice. Anyone who called her sister, she should recognize. It wasn't uncommon for Hyuga Members to address each other as brother and sister, if they were about the same age. To a certain extent, your parentage didn't matter. (Well other than determining which Branch you were on.)

"Whose there?" The Hyuga woman demands.

That's when she saw a man. A man with crimson red eyes. The Sharingan, but he wasn't Sasuke.

She would have recognized Sasuke instantly. This Uchiha she recognized from the Bingo Book. Itachi. Sasuke's brother.

"I must confess that rather hurts my feelings. One would think that you would recognize your future brother-in-law." He says as he fades out of sight.

Hinata blinks. Future brother-in-law? Itachi only had one brother though. Well unless the timeline had been altered enough to Fugaku and Mikoto had more than two children. Somehow though, she doubted that.

"Oh God." She whispers as she covers her mouth in shock.

The Hyuga Heiress didn't know what she was going to do? Should she tell the others about Itachi? Maybe, she should keep quiet about it. After all, they couldn't really do anything about it.

Biting her lower lip, she mentally slaps herself for being a coward. They were her friends. She could be honest with them. That and it was important that they all stuck together.

"I have to tell them." She says and with that, she races off towards the Hokage's office.

Every change or sighting really should be reported. There was no way of knowing when the timelines were going to collide. Though it now looked like the two timelines were hurtling towards each other at a breakneck pace. For all they knew, it could happen any second and that was unsettling to say the least.

Back in the past, a few hours had passed. Sasuke goes to find Kakashi. Today was the day that Sakumo's fate would have been sealed. He needed to know, if he had saved the man. Had the Hokage kept his word?

He didn't get too far though. He saw that his father was being drug off by several Uchihas, Minato, and much to his relief Sakumo. They all seemed to be in good spirits.

"I really hope that this isn't going, where I think it's going." He whispers to himself as he tries to hide.

It was useless though. Most of them were highly skilled ninjas. Clearly, someone had spotted him. Damn it. This couldn't be happening. Was he really about to be dragged off to his father's Bachelor Party?

"Daisuke! Come join us! It's Fugaku's Bachelor Party!" Minato says good-naturedly.

"Yes, yes! I need a witness to testify for my character. Aiya is likely going to be rather displeased that I'm attending the celebration, but I'll be safe as long as I have someone vouch for my character." Kenji says, positively beaming.

Apparently, yes. Sasuke gulps. This was extremely awkward. It was one thing to see his father and mother courting, but a Bachelor Party? Really? Clearly, someone up there hated him. A lot.

"Well I guess I kinda have to go now. I mean I wouldn't want Aiya to kill you and have your death on my conscience." Daisuke says with a sigh.

"That's true! That's the spirit! Let's go!" Kenji says cheerfully as he drags his future grandson and his son off towards the festivities.

 **Warning Bachelor Party Scene**

About an hour later, Sasuke was about ready to vomit. He had never drank so much sake in all his life. He could tell that most of the other men were also at least moderately intoxicated. Most of them were far worse off than that though.

"I can't believe that they're ninjas." Sasuke scoffs under his breath as he throws back another glass and hopes that another woman didn't try to throw herself at him.

"Believe me, I completely understand the sentiment." Fugaku says with a sigh.

He was the one who was about to be married. Naturally, the dancers had thrown themselves at Fugaku first. Seeing that he was "shy" or "a cold fish," they quickly turned their attentions to Sasuke and Minato.

"No! I really do appreciate it, but I have a girlfriend. A girlfriend who is a powerful ninja!" Minato warns the dancer.

"Why are all the cute ones taken?" The young woman sulks as she saunters off to go find another gentleman to perform for.

"I'm surprised that you came to the party, if you're really that scared of what Kushina might do." Sasuke snorts in amusement.

Minato puts his hands up. Honestly, he was innocent. He really was. He just wanted to be there for his friend's party. That's all.

"Well I couldn't leave Fugaku alone here. These women are sharks." He reasons.

Sasuke mentally rolls his eyes at that defense. It was odd to see the Fourth Hokage at sixteen. It was even stranger to realize that man sitting next to him would one day be his best friend's father. Bizarre.

"I'm certain that Mikoto will appreciate your efforts to protect my virtue." Fugaku states dryly and Sasuke laughs.

"Yep! I'm sure too!" Minato says.

"Well I understand why Fugaku and Minato are behaving themselves, though it surprises me that you are being so shy Daisuke." Sakumo says.

This was about to get even more awkward, Sasuke thinks with a sigh. He was a single young man, who was completely ignoring all the offers of "companionship" he was receiving. Of course, his "friends" were going to ask why.

"They aren't really my type." Sasuke mutters in embarrassment.

He couldn't believe that his Sensei's father wanted to discuss his preferences in women. It was surreal and it was embarrassing. Sasuke could only hope that somehow Sakumo would be distracted by someone else.

"Well what is your type?" Fugaku asks.

After all, Daisuke was his son. He really should know such things about him. He couldn't help but feel more than a little ashamed at how he had treated "the boy." He was a horrible father.

Fugaku didn't know his son's favorite food. He didn't know his birthday. For goodness sakes, the Uchiha Patriarch didn't even know his real name.

"Less pushy." Daisuke says simply as he gets another shot.

"Ah well that does explain a lot. I know that Fugaku is a leg man. Myself, I've always appreciated a beautiful pair of eyes." The ninja says cheerfully.

Fugaku glares daggers at Sakumo. That was no way to speak around his son! He mentally sighs and tries to calm down though. It wasn't like the other ninja knew that.

How could he possibly know that Daisuke was his son? To Sakumo, this was just a guys' night out. Talk like this was perfectly normal on such occasions. Despite that, he glances at Daisuke apologetically. He certainly didn't want his son to think he was some kind of deviant.

"Well I don't think that it will come as any surprise, but I've always liked red heads." Minato smiles.

A few more men decide to get in on the conversation. Some of the comments were relatively innocent, some of them made Sasuke want to blush as red as Hinata. Sheesh!

"Alright! Alright!" He says and mumbles something quietly.

"I'm sorry, I don't think that anyone heard you. What was that, Daisuke?" Kenji inquires pleasantly.

"I said that I'm a breast ninja." He grumbles.

This prompts some good-natured teasing. It seemed like he was far from the only ninja with this preference. That was hardly surprising though. Sasuke was well aware that it was a common "fetish." (If one could even call it that.)

 **End of Bachelor Party Scene**

Mercifully, the rest of the night passes without incident. At some point, the establishment closed and the Uchihas began to make their way back to the District. Sakumo and Minato had departed perhaps an hour beforehand, so it was now purely an Uchiha outing.

"I really am sorry about their behavior." Fugaku says to Sasuke as they continue their trek to their respective apartments.

"It's fine. It was a party. I'd be surprised, if they didn't act that way." He mutters.

"Why don't you come inside? We have not talked much in the way that a father and son should." He asks.

That shocked Sasuke. Fugaku apparently wanted to bond. The younger Uchiha would have thought that he'd be too afraid of altering the timeline to do that.

"Alright." Sasuke says cautiously as they head into Fugaku's apartment.

"It does occur to me that I have not been a very good father to you in this timeline. Some of it wasn't my fault. I didn't know that you were my son, but now I don't have that excuse. I know almost nothing about you. I don't know your real name, your birthday, your favorite color, your favorite food, or really much of anything. Well other than the fact that you are apparently fond of breasts and don't make a fool out of yourself when you drink." Fugaku says.

"I don't think that it's safe to give you my real name or my birthday. As for my favorite color, I'm fond of dark blue and red. Tomatoes are my favorite food." Sasuke offers.

Surely, his favorite color and food wouldn't do any harm. Sasuke couldn't see how that would alter the timeline in any significant way. That and it was something. He did want Fugaku to know that he cared about him. He wasn't isolating himself out of malice.

"Good to know. Well I'm sure you already know my answers those questions." His father says.

Sadly, Sasuke didn't. Oh he knew Fugaku's name and his birthday. He also knew that Fugaku was surprisingly fond of cupcakes, but he didn't know his favorite color. He knew depressingly little about his father as an actual person.

"Yeah. Did you tell her? I know that you proposed to mother, but did you tell her about me?" Sasuke asks.

"I told her. I don't believe that there should be secrets between husbands and wives. I'm sorry, Daisuke." He says.

Damn it. That would make things even more tricky. Mikoto knew, but why hadn't she said anything to him?!

"It's alright. I was hoping that you didn't, but I expected you would. She has as much a right to know as you do. It just makes everything a little more complicated." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Well then I suppose it's a good thing that your I.Q. Test results classify you as a genius. You should be able to handle complicated." Fugaku says smugly.


	12. Chapter 12

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the wedding chapter.

 **Honeymoon Plans:** Please feel free to weigh in on if you would prefer a full Honeymoon Chapter with all the stops or a brief innocently romantic Honeymoon Scene next time. Majority will rule.

Chapter 12

A month soon passes and Sasuke had to admit that it was a surreal day to say the least. His parents were getting married to day and he was actually going to be present for their wedding. He was going to be present at a wedding before he had even been born.

"Fugaku, did you get any sleep last night?" Minato asks his friend in concern.

"I couldn't sleep. We are having this wedding in the Forest of Death. It was the only place big enough to fit everyone who wanted to come. I can only hope that some beast doesn't eat one of our guests." Fugaku says.

Bags under his eyes were not something that he needed on his wedding day. Honestly, he sincerely had the worst luck. This was partially Sasuke's fault and his mother's fault though.

Sasuke had insisted that it would be better to have an open wedding. A wedding where anyone could come. It wouldn't matter whether or not they were an Uchiha or from outside the Clan. To make matters worse, somehow he had convinced Mikoto that such an arrangement was a good idea. Fugaku Uchiha had never stood a chance against the combined efforts of his future wife and son.

 _"No. Absolutely not." Fugaku stated as soon as he saw Mikoto give him THAT look._

 _She was doing that thing with her eyes again. The Uchiha Patriarch didn't know how she did it, but Mikoto possessed the most powerful Jutsu of them all. Forget the Tsukuyomi. It had nothing on the Bubble Eyes Jutsu._

 _Whenever that woman gave him that look, he knew that she was going to talk him into something. Something that he shouldn't allow himself to be talked into. Despite that fact, he fell for it every single time. It was rather frustrating to put it mildly._

 _"Fugaku, you haven't even heard what I'm about to say yet." Mikoto told him with a giggle._

 _"I don't have to. I know that look. You're about to talk me into doing something completely reckless and impulsive. Something that would be foolish and you're using those beautiful eyes of yours to trick me into agreeing." The ninja stated simply._

 _"Mmm am I really that predictable?" She asked slyly as she caressed his cheek and proceeded to kiss his ear and began to slowly work her way down his jaw._

 _"In this respect, you are." Fugaku informed her and Mikoto shook her head as she captured his lips with her own._

 _Fugaku knew that he was an idiot for falling for her seduction, but it was almost impossible not to. He considered himself a man with an exceptionally strong will, but even Fugaku Uchiha was vulnerable to the Big Three Vices._

 _"All I was going to say is that I think we should have an open wedding. We should invite people who aren't from our Clan to it. It might help to ease tensions between us and the rest of the village. What do you think?" She inquired as she unleashed the Bubble Eyes Jutsu._

 _"I think that you have been talking to Daisuke." He said with a sigh._

 _"Well of course, I have. He's our son. I can't believe that you told him that you told me!" Mikoto grumbled._

 _Fugaku merely shook his head in response. What more was there to really say about the matter? Their son from the future had traveled back in the past and wanted them to have a public wedding. That and her damn Bubble Eyes Jutsu made it impossible for him to say no._

 _"Oh alright. I'm not sure where we are going to find a place big enough to host everyone though." He said with a dramatic sigh._

Apparently, his father knew of a place that was big enough though. He couldn't believe that Kenji had actually suggested the Forest of Death. At first, he thought that his father had finally slid completely into insanity when he suggested such a thing. Now though, he reluctantly had to admit that the man had been right.

"Those bags are pretty dark. I can use a Genjutsu to hide them though, if you want." Daisuke offers.

"Well I guess that's why he's the Best Man and I'm not." Minato says with a chuckle.

"Well there is that and the fact that he's an Uchiha. I'm sorry, my friend. I'm testing the limits of my Clan's patience as is by having a public wedding. Choosing another Uchiha as my Best Man was an olive branch. I hope that you can understand that." Fugaku says.

Minato nods at him in understanding. Fugaku didn't really need to explain his reasoning. The blonde understood it perfectly and he would have done the same thing in his position.

"It's fine. I get it. Well let's hope the girls are having an easier time of it than you are." The future Hokage says with a wink.

Meanwhile the women were getting ready. Mikoto smiles as she looks at herself in the mirror. She was rather pleased with her wedding kimono to say the least.

It was an ivory cream color and made out of silk. The fabric certainly flattered her. The gown had a v shaped neckline and reached all the way to her ankles. Around the midsection there were likely hundreds of pearls sewn into in a floral pattern. The long sleeves made her feel rather elegant.

"I still think that you should wear your hair up." Tanya says.

"Oh I think that it looks quite pretty down though." Amaya chimes in.

Kushina shakes her head in amusement. She doubted that Fugaku would care one way or another how his bride wore her hair. Still it was amusing to see them debate the matter.

"Alright, ladies! Let's get going. We don't want Mikoto to be late for her own wedding." The red head says with a smile.

The other women quickly agree and head off. Mikoto smiles as she walks down the aisle. They had managed to make a clearing in the Forest of Death. It was not more of a meadow at least in this section.

A red carpet had been laid out on the forest floor and there were hundreds of chairs and dozens of tables scattered around. The chairs were white and all the cloths were gold. Not to mention there were more colorful lanterns lightning up the night sky than she cared to count at the moment.

"Beautiful" She whispers under her breathe as she watches the flower girls begin to throw dozens of wild flowers into the crowd.

They were two local girls from the village. Rin and Kurenai. The young ninjas looked so cute in their ruby red kimonos, tossing about their flowers. It was a good omen, she decides.

Obito was walking alongside them. He was an Uchiha. The boy was their ring barer. She could think of no greater symbolism than having two young village girls and one young Uchiha boy walking side by side down a wedding aisle. It gave her hope for the future.

"They're so cute!" Mikoto hears someone say from the crowd and soon enough similar observations were made.

There were wildflowers everywhere. She was almost certain that was Aiya's doing. Her primary chakra type was Earth. That was rare for an Uchiha, but it certainly did come in handy at times like this.

The stars were bright and the Moon was full. The lanterns only added to the beautiful scene. She could see fireflies flittering off in the distance and hear the sounds of crickets. For one night at least, it wasn't a Forest of Death. It was a Forest of Life.

An alter had been made out of several pine tree's bark. There were many flowers woven into it. It was rather primitive, but beautiful at the same time.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the Union of Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto. If there is anyone who objects to this match, speak now or forever hold your peace." Sarutobi says.

Sasuke was surprised at first to learn that the Third Hokage was going to be the preacher for the wedding, but he supposed it made sense. He certainly held a lot of legal power and what better way to reassure the villagers that the Uchiha Clan wasn't a threat? Having the Hokage host their wedding could only be a good thing, really.

Mikoto smiles as she glances at Fugaku;. He was wearing a matching ivory cream male dress kimono. White wasn't really a color she associated with him, but she rather liked the way that his broad shoulders filled it out and for once, he didn't look so serious in public. (Normally, she only saw him relaxed when they were alone and usually locked in the throws of passion.)

"You look beautiful, Mikoto!" Tsuki meows up at her favored human.

"Thank you, Tsuki." Mikoto says with a giggle as she leans down to pat the cat's head before returning her attention to Fugaku.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. Cats really didn't care what you thought of them. They apparently didn't think much of interrupting even a wedding.

Sasuke smiles as he watches the wedding. He still couldn't believe that he was attending his parents' wedding, but he was. He couldn't help but wonder what Itachi would have thought of the entire thing.

"Well I see that there are no objections." The Third says, smiling kindly.

He would have been watching Sarutobi like a hawk, Sasuke decides. That grandfatherly smile could hide a lot. He wasn't entirely certain that Sarutobi was truly his ally or not. So he knew he had to tread lightly around the elderly Hokage.

"The couple would like to exchange their vows before we proceed further with the ceremony." Sarutobi says with a smile.

Fugaku smiles and takes Mikoto's hands in his. This was the woman that he loved completely and who drove him to the brink of insanity on a daily basis. This was also the woman who would become the mother of his children. With that in mind, he proceeds confidently.

"Mikoto, I love you. I think that I always did. I just thought that you would be better off with someone who had less blood on their hands. Someone who hadn't experienced the horrors of the war. I was wrong though. You don't need me to protect you. You can protect yourself and you were the one who saved me, not the other way around. I can't tell you how happy I was when you accepted my proposal. I love you." He says with a smile.

"Me-ow! M-eow!" Tsuki says as she sniffles.

Minato blinks as he looks down at the Ninja Cat. It seemed that even Ninja Cats sometimes cried at weddings. Who knew? Well he supposed that you learned something new every day.

"Fugaku, I love you as well. You're wrong though. You saved me. When I was a Genin, you saved me from three Chunins who were picking a fight with me because of my eyes. You've looked after me, ever since. I love your strength and determination. I love the way that you look at me. The way you kiss me and the way you hold me. That's why I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She tells him with a smile of her own.

"THE POWER OF YOUTH AND LOVE IS SO BEAU-TIFUL!" Guy shouts from the crowd as he begins to sob loudly.

Mikoto and Fugaku rub the back of their heads sheepishly. That was disturbing. The two ninjas decide that they couldn't really be angry with Guy. He was just a child, after all.

"Right. That's right, Guy. Well those vows were beautiful." Sarutobi says awkwardly as he tries to steer them back towards a proper ceremony.

"Thank you." Fugaku and Mikoto whisper to the Third Hokage.

"Do you Fugaku Uchiha take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To forsake all others and to support each other in good times and in bad…until death do you part?" Sarutobi inquires.

Fugaku smiles as he holds his bride's hand. For him, he had never even thought about marrying another woman. At twenty-five, she wasn't the first woman that he had courted. However, she was the only one that he had ever loved.

"I do. Forever and always." He says as he smiles at his future wife.

The Third Hokage rubs his eyes a bit, before continuing. It was a truly beautiful, if slightly bizarre ceremony. They had crying Ninja Cats and were in the Forest of Death and yet, it was still like something out of a fairytale.

"Do you Mikoto Uchiha take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? To love, honor, and cherish for all of your days? To forsake all others and to support each other in good times and in bad…until death do you part?" Sarutobi asks.

"I do. Forever and always." She replies, echoing her lover's earlier words.

Sarutobi smiles and then glances at Daisuke. He still wasn't entirely certain that he trusted the boy, but at the moment it was a beautiful day. Mikoto and Fugaku didn't seem to be in on whatever the boy was planning and now, that was enough.

"Then by the power vested in my by Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The Hokage says.

Fugaku didn't need to be told twice. Before Sasuke realized what was happening, his father was kissing his mother. He was REALLY kissing his mother.

"That's my boy!" Kenji calls out gleefully.

Mikoto smiles and wraps her arms around her new husband's neck. She didn't seem to mind the aggressive public display of affection, if anything she was being even more outrageous than he was! Sasuke blinks and honestly didn't know how to react to that disturbing image.

"Kenji Uchiha! This is your son's wedding! Show a little sense of decorum." Aiya chastises him.

The rest of the guests did though. There were loud rounds of applause and even some catcalls. The catcalls made Mikoto blush and the couple broke apart. Though Sasuke notes with no small amount of satisfaction that his father's Death Glare silenced the worst of the catcallers.

"Oh come on. Our boy is only getting married once. It's our right to embarrass him." He says smugly, but he quickly shuts up once he notices the Death Glare.

Sasuke makes mental note to ask his father for tips on his own Death Glare. It seemed that Fugaku's was more effective than his own.

Maybe, he could find a way to get his glare to work on Naruto in the future. That would be nice. That was one blonde who just didn't know when to quit.

"Time to throw the bouquet!" Mikoto says with a giggle as she grabs her beautiful bouquet of long stemmed, red roses and tosses the flowers high into the air.

Sasuke watches in amusement as the women all made a mad dash towards the flowers. It seemed that women really took this bouquet tradition seriously. He was suddenly very relieved not to be a single female. The competition for those flowers was _**vicious**_.

"Women do tend to get a little carried away about such things." Sakumo whispers to Sasuke.

Sasuke could only nod in agreement. When the smoke cleared, it was Kushina who emerged victorious. Well on second thought, maybe there really was something to this tradition.

The young Uchiha didn't know when exactly Naruto's parents had married, but it was likely relatively soon. The flowers might be right, after all.

"Well I suppose it's time to throw the garter belt." Fugaku says as he gestures for his wife to sit down.

Mikoto smiles and does so. It didn't take long for her lover to remove the lacy fabric from her leg. It was a bit embarrassing to listen to some of the whistles, but that didn't bother her.

She was now married to the man she loved. Nothing could bother her today. Not even the fact that she still didn't know why her son had returned to the past. (Mikoto was going to find out why sooner or later, but not today.)

"Here we go!" The Uchiha Patriarch says as he flings it into the crowd.

Thankfully, the Garter Belt Battle was significantly less severe than the Bouquet Battle. Minato caught it with relative ease and Sasuke notices his parents give the other couple knowing looks.

Attending your own parents' wedding was a very surreal experience. He half expected that any moment now he would wake up and discover that it was all just a dream. Despite that thought, he never did.

"Time to cut the cake! Well one of them!" Aiya's voice rings out.

Mikoto blinks as the older ninja leads them to a very large beautiful white cake that was easily as big as she was. The culinary masterpiece had frosting Uchiha Fans and Leaf Symbols on it. Well Aiya had certainly went all out on this one.

"It almost seems a shame to cut it." She muses.

"Yes, it does. We have to though. My mother would never forgive us, if we let her cake go to waste. Stand back, My Love." He says.

Mikoto blinks, but wisely stands back. When Fugaku Uchiha told you to stand back, you had better listened. She had learned that lesson years ago.

"Demon Wind Shuriken!" He yells as the metallic weapon goes flying straight into the cake, neatly slicing it up into manageable pieces.

Now it was Sasuke's turn to be stunned. He had once used that blade against Haku. The young Uchiha had found it inside his house one day and decided to use it on his missions. He had no idea that it had apparently, once belonged to his father.

"Such a clever husband, I have." Mikoto says with a smile as she picks up two slices of the cake.

"Yes, you do." Fugaku says smugly.

"Clever, but foolish. You really shouldn't let your guard down like that." She says smugly as she smooshes a piece of cake into his face.

Sasuke could only gape at his mother. Oh boy. This wouldn't end well. He couldn't imagine Fugaku Uchiha responding well to such a display, especially not in public. He had a reputation to uphold.

His fears were unfounded though. Fugaku quickly responds in kind and it didn't take long for a food fight to break out. Children and adults alike joined in.

"TAKE THAT, KAKASHI!" Obito says as he hurls some cake at his rival.

"You are such an idiot." Kakashi replies as he sets up a mini catapult made out of silverware to return Obito's fire.

"Mine now!" Shisui says as he Flickers over to some cake and stuffs a piece in his mouth before flickering over to join the other Uchiha children.

Aiya groans. That is NOT how she planned to have her cake used at her son's wedding. All her hard work was ruined.

"Oh don't look so glum, My Love. Everyone adores your cake." Kenji says as he kisses her cheek.

"I meant for them to eat it. I didn't mean for them to use it as a weapon." She grumbles.

"Well there is absolutely no reason why the two usages need be mutually exclusive." He informs her and with that he tosses some cake at his wife.

She feels herself twitch. Oh he was going to pay for that! It was time to fight fire with fire! With that in mind she hurls some cake right back at him.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement as he heads off to dance with his new wife. He shoots a smile at his Best Man/Son as he does so. Well this wasn't exactly how he had imagined his wedding go, but he supposed that there was no real reason to complain. It was just cake.

"Maybe this will help humanize our Clan in the eyes of other villagers." Mikoto whispers as they begin to sway to the classical music that was now playing in the background.

"Maybe. I suppose anything is possible, especially now that we are married and our son is watching our First Dance." Fugaku whispers back to her.

Meanwhile back in the present, Hinata couldn't help but feel incredibly awkward. She had told her friends and the Hokage about what she saw last month. She had told them almost immediately afterwards and she still couldn't quite process it.

"He really called you his sister?" Sakura asks Hinata.

"Yes, he did. Sakura, I wouldn't lie about something like this. The timelines are conv-erging. This is too im-portant to make things up." The bluenette stammers out nervously.

Sakura sighs and nods. Hinata was definitely one of the most honest people that she knew. It was still hard for her to wrap her head around though.

She could understand Sasuke not choosing her. Well almost, but Hinata didn't make any sense. The two of them hadn't even said two words to each other in this dimension.

"I guess it makes sense in a weird way. Remember when we got trapped in that other world? The one where everything was flipped? Your parents were dead and mine were alive? Neji was a pervert. Kiba liked cats. Sasuke was a flirt. Hinata was…aggressive?" The blonde reminds Sakura.

"Yeah. I remember. Why?" Sakura replies as they were all eating lunch on the Hyuga Grounds.

"Well they were together there. He called her kitten. I guess it makes sense. Maybe it would have happened, without the Massacre. Maybe he's less of a bastard and Hinata is really nice. Why wouldn't he like her?" Naruto asks.

Hinata feels her face burn scarlet red. She had always hated how easily she blushed, but especially now. It was just really embarrassing.

That and she couldn't picture Sasuke Uchiha using the word kitten. Ever. This was particularly true as it pertained to endearments. (Actually, the bluenette was having a hard time picturing him using ANY endearments, let alone kitten).

"I guess that's true. Well good luck, Hinata. You're going to need it. Sasuke's not exactly the easiest guy to understand." Sakura says with a sigh.

"Thank you, Sakura." She replies.

Hinata wasn't even really sure what to say. According to Itachi, she was engaged to Sasuke in this new timeline. The fact that Sasuke had given her this necklace and kissed her cheek implied that it was a lovematch.

She barely knew him though. Well at least in this timeline, Hinata knew him. Then again, that might not matter. Sasuke could be a completely different person by the time the timelines intersected. It was all just so horribly confusing.

"How long do you guys think that Kakashi Sensei can keep this a secret from the rest of the village?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"Not long. The rest of the village is already suspicious. More and more people are seeing things. It's only a matter of time before the truth comes out and then it's going to be complete and utter…" Sakura begins to reply, but then thinks better of it.

It was obvious what she was going to say. The pink haired woman didn't need to jinx them further. Nope. She wasn't going to do.

"Chaos." Hinata whispers and Sakura winces, once she hears that word leave the other woman's mouth.

"Hinata, you shouldn't have said that. You really shouldn't have said that." She groans.


	13. Chapter 13

Her Face

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Brief Honeymoon Scene and full Honeymoon Chapter tied at 1-1. So I decided to go with a full Honeymoon Chapter since we had a tie. Warnings will be put in place before and afterwards. Skipping that scene will not significantly alter the plot.

Chapter 13

Mikoto wasn't entirely certain how, but they managed to sneak off without being detected. That was quite the impressive feat. After all, most of their guests were experienced ninjas.

"They really should be more aware of their surroundings." She muses.

"Yes, they should. I think they are a bit distracted by the cake fight though. Honestly, look at what you started. I can understand the children participating, but some of those ninjas are experienced Jonin." He says as he shakes his head in amusement and the two of them board their carriage.

Mikoto giggles at that last part. That was certainly true. She hadn't expected for a real food fight to break out. The fact the Hokage had elected to participate was certainly surprising to say the least. She couldn't help but wonder, if Fugaku noticed.

"Where are we going for our Honeymoon?" She asks as the carriage takes off.

"It's a surprise My Love. I'm glad that you told Daisuke. It was confusing that he knew that I told you, but that you hadn't informed him of the matter." Her new husband says.

The entire situation was so confusing. It would be markedly less so though, once Daisuke and Mikoto had told each other everything. Until then, well he had been trying his best to stave off stress induced headaches.

"I feel the same way. I think that he was expecting me to tell him though. He certainly took it better than I would have expected." Mikoto muses as she remembers that day well.

 _"Thank you, Daisuke. It was very nice of you to help me with plowing the fields." Mikoto said with a sweet smile._

 _It had been a dirty trick to say the least. She needed to get her son alone. Mikoto Uchiha need to talk to him. The Uchiha woman had to let him know that she knew everything._

 _"It's no problem. I mean the fields have to be plowed. I wasn't busy. So why not?" Sasuke replied._

 _"Good. I'm also glad that it gives us the chance to talk. You're aware that Fugaku proposed to me. Well he did more than that on that day." She began warily._

 _There really wasn't any of knowing how he would react. Would he become frightened? Would he become violent? She honestly didn't know. Though she did doubt the last part._

 _"What else did he do?" The younger ninja inquired just as cautiously._

 _"He told me who you really are. I have to admit that at first, I thought that he was delusional. I thought that maybe, he had just suffered one too many head injuries. I believe him now. You're my son. You're our son. It's written all over your face. It's almost like staring into a mirror." She whispered as she reached out to him._

 _Sasuke's eyed widened. She supposed that he didn't expect her to confront him about it. He looked rather like a startled deer at the moment._

 _Her heart ached for him. The young ninja had risked everything travel back into the past and had to keep his true identity a secret from everyone. Well everyone except for Fugaku and now her. That was a tremendous burden to place on anyone, let alone a seventeen year old boy._

 _"He told me that he told you, but I didn't think that you were going to say anything. I thought that maybe you were worried about altering the timeline." Sasuke admitted with a defeated sigh._

 _"Clearly, the timeline needs to be altered. If it didn't, you wouldn't be here. I just didn't know how to approach you about it. I understand that you might not be able to tell me why you are here, but I do want you to know that I love you. I know that Fugaku does as well in his own way." She informed him with a soft smile as she embraced her baby._

 _Well maybe baby was stretching it. This was a Jonin. That didn't matter though. He was her son. So he was her baby. His age was irrelevant._

 _"I love you too. I love both of you, but I can't tell you why I'm here. I'm glad that you know though." Sasuke said as he returned her embrace._

 _"If I didn't know that you were my son, I would be rather jealous of the way you are holding my fiancée, right now." Fugaku's gruff voice stated._

 _Mikoto laughed and smiled as she gestured for him to come over. He was a smart man. It was likely that he realized why she wanted to tend to the fields alone with Daisuke immediately and had decided to check on them._

 _"Good thing that you know then. I didn't really want to have to dodge a barrage of fireballs." Sasuke retorted._

 _"Smart boy." Fugaku observed as he joined their family hug._

 _Mikoto smiled even more at that moment. For now, their family was complete. Though Fugaku had mentioned an Itachi. Briefly, she wondered if Sasuke was the elder brother or the younger one. She decided to ask Sasuke that another day though. For now, everything was perfect._

"That's true. Well it won't be long now. We'll arrive at our destination shortly." He tells her.

"Good. I can't wait." The dark beauty confesses with a sly smile.

A few hours pass by. Mikoto watches the beautiful countryside pass them by as they continue on their trek. Eventually though, they arrive in the Land of Tea.

"That's clever. I doubt anyone would recognize us here. We won't be subjected to stares and whispers." She observes.

"Oh people will be staring and whispering, but not because we're Uchihas. They will be staring and whispering because you look like a Goddess in that wedding kimono of yours." Fugaku says smugly.

Mikoto laugh and she was about to respond to that, but she never really got a chance to. Fugaku had scooped her up into his arms Bridal Style and was carrying her into the hotel that they were staying at. She felt her face heat up with embarrassment, but she smiles all the same. It was nice to be lavished with his attention and it made for a rather comfortable journey.

The Land of Tea was certainly beautiful with its lush countryside and hot springs. The buildings were colorful and mostly new. It was a popular tourist destination for a reason. Perfect for lovers on their Honeymoon.

"We have reservations under Uchiha." Fugaku says to the receptionist.

Mikoto was still in his arms, but her husband didn't seem to care about the rather amused looks they were getting. Well she supposed she didn't either. It wasn't as if they lived in the Land of Tea. Who cared what the others thought of them?

"Ah yes. Room 234. The Honeymoon Suite. Well I suppose that's rather obvious in your case. Enjoy." The woman says with a cheerful smile as she hands Mikoto the key.

"Thank you. We will." Mikoto says as she returns the smile with one of her own and she's carried off by her lover.

It didn't take long for them to arrive in their room. Fugaku gently lays Mikoto on the bed and locks the door behind them. He raises an eyebrow when he got back and saw Mikoto performing some kind of Jutsu.

"Mikoto?" The Uchiha man asks uncertainly.

"Oh it's just a Soundproofing Jutsu. We wouldn't want to startle the people down the hall." She says with a wink.

Fugaku smirks. He had certainly married a very smart woman. That was his kitten. Always planning ahead.

"Clever." He praises her and Mikoto nods in agreement as she stands and tries to get out of her wedding kimono.

"I like to think so. I do try. Just like I'm trying to get out of this kimono." She tells him.

"Here. Let me get it. Undressing you is one of my favorite recreational activities anyway." Fugaku muses as he slides the beautiful gown off of her.

 **Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

Mikoto just laughs in response. What more was there to say? Her husband was only being honest.

While he was far from the most social individual, he did seem rather fond of more intimate forms of socializing. Thankfully, he was only interested socializing with HER in that respect.

"I suppose that must be why you're so good at it. You get a lot of practice." Mikoto retorts as she turns around and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Mhm. I've been fortunate in that regard." Fugaku replies as he captures her lips with his own and he cradles the back of her head in one hand, while the other glides down her silken locks of raven black hair and continues its descent further south.

She sighs in pleasure at the affectionate gestures. Mikoto was well aware of what those hands were capable of doing. It amazed her that he could be this gentle with her and so…well not gentle with others.

"Very fortunate." She agrees with mock somberness as he reaches for the sash of his own kimono and slowly pulls it off of him.

It was rather akin to unwrapping a present, she thinks to herself in amusement. She was certain that it was a common thought amongst women, but ninja training regimes did have one pleasant secondary benefit. They certainly did sculpt the male body to perfection.

She doubted that there was an ounce of unnecessary fat on him. Mikoto knew this because she had become very familiar with her lover's body. So it was with practiced ease that she fully slides the kimono off of his broad shoulders and glides her hands over his muscular chest teasingly.

"The white silk certainly flatters you. Though I suspect you would find a way to make a potato sack look alluring." He states as he slowly unhooks her bra.

She was wearing white silk Bridal Lingerie. The sensual fabric caressed her ample bosom and firm backside like a possessive lover. He had never thought of white as a particularly sexy color before, but it did blend tantalizingly well with her creamy skin.

"Potato sacks? I've heard of those who like their women to wear maid costumes, dress like an Academy Student, and those that have a fetish for sexy nurses. I have to admit that potato sacks are a new one." Mikoto teases him.

She quickly discards her bra the rest of the way and slips out of her matching thong. Normally, he was more of a pouncer. Honestly, it was a good thing that she made good money as a Jonin. The man had a habit of completely destroying her lingerie. He apparently liked it a little too much.

"It was more an expression." Fugaku tells her.

"I'm aware of that. I was teasing you, My Love." Mikoto says as she swiftly proceeds to tug off his boxers.

"You do that a lot. You've become quite the expert at it." Fugaku replies and he soon umpfs when he finds himself pinned to the bed.

It seemed that tonight, Mikoto was content to play the role tigress instead of a kitten. That was fine by him. He certainly wasn't going to argue with the view.

He loved the way her dark dresses contrasted against her ivory skin. The way her now ruby red eyes sparkled with mistress. The view of her womanly curves, especially her breasts and lovely long legs that were presently straddled him was impossibly seductive as well. Not to mention the curve of her hips and that perfectly shaped backside.

With all that in mind, he certainly didn't mind letting her pounce. He smiles and leans up to kiss her. The two of them soon moan into the kiss as their tongues battle for dominance.

"Mmm you always win that game." Mikoto whispers, after she breaks the kiss.

"Of course, I do." Fugaku says smugly as he trails one hand over the curve of her hip and caresses her breasts with the other.

"That feels nice, but you really shouldn't get so cocky. Perhaps, I merely need to change my strategy." She muses as she kisses him once more and takes his arousal into her hand.

Mikoto knew exactly how her lover preferred to be touched. Fugaku preferred a slow sensual tease at first and gradually the lovemaking would become more animalistic. Eventually, it would be a very good thing that she had the foresight to Soundproof their room.

"That's cheating." Fugaku growls in approval, after returning the kiss.

He thrusts into his wife's wonderfully soft hand. Her hands felt like silk, but her touch was anything but delicate. She was a ninja and clearly not shy about taking what she wanted at this point.

He groans in pleasure as he leans up ever so slightly and flicks his tongue against one of her rosy pink nipples before taking it into his mouth and sucking on it gently. The moan that resulted from that simple action soon sent a jolt of white hot lust rushing through his veins and straight to his already fully hard arousal.

"Perhaps, but I don't think you mind all that much. At least a part of you doesn't mind." She says with a smirk as she continues stroking him.

Mikoto smiles in satisfaction when she hears the normally stoic ninja produce some very not stoic moans at the attention. He might be one of the strongest ninjas in the village, but he was still a man. All men had the same reaction once you started playing with their kunai.

"You're an evil seductress, sometimes." He growls at her, after releasing her breast from his mouth.

Intent on extracting some revenge, he cups her womanhood in his hand. Fugaku brushes his thumb over her clit and smirks when he heard her moan. She was already wet.

"N-ow who is the tease?" She pants as she arches into his talented touches.

Fugaku was very much a practical man. At the end of the day, he favored Taijutsu over other forms of Jutsus. That meant that he was very good with his hands. At moments like this, she thought he could touch her body in a manner identical to a skilled violinist. He knew which places to touch to elicit which sounds.

"I suppose in that regard, we are perfect for each other." He murmurs approvingly as he slides a finger inside her.

She was likely the most responsive woman that he had ever met. Mikoto was already soaking wet and moaning from their affectionate touches. There was also something extremely exotic about the way she threw her head back in pleasure at the slight penetration.

He feels his own desire only grow at the image and bucks into her teasing touches as she continues to stroke him. Two could play that game, he decides. Quickly he slides a second and soon a third finger inside her, while never ignoring her clit.

"Yes!" She whispers over and over again, almost like a chant as she tries to ride his fingers.

They felt good. The digits kept brushing up against her spot, but she wanted something bigger and most certainly thicker. Deciding that she had had enough teasing, she wiggles off him just enough to be free of his maddening touches.

Once that was accomplished, she slides onto his arousal. Both of them moan in pleasure as they were joined together again. It was far from their first time being connected in this way, but that didn't matter. It was an addicting feeling. She doubted that either of them would ever truly get enough of it.

"You're impatient today." Fugaku taunts her as he massages her breasts and thrusts up inside her.

"Who can blame me? It was a rather long carriage ride." The dark beauty retorts as she begins to wiggle her hips and ride her lover.

It was at that point, that Fugaku was almost positive that he wouldn't be able to utter anything coherent further. It felt too good to be able to concentrate n something as meaningless as mere words.

She was always so hot, wet, and tight. He never could get over the feeling of being inside his new wife. Fugaku had no idea how he was ever going to be able to focus on work again. Not when she moaned his name like that or when his lover arched like a sexy jungle cat whenever he brushed up against her spot.

"Feels so good!" She moans as he showers his neck with kisses and glides her hands over his chest.

The way she was leaning over him caused her breasts to brush against his own chest. For some reason that was incredibly erotic to him and causes the Uchiha Patriarch to slam into her harder and faster.

He loved the way she would move as one with him. How perfectly they fit together. Every moan, kiss, and touch just drove the both of them closer towards tumbling over the edge. It was a beautiful insanity really.

"God you're beautiful." He growls lustfully as he kisses her and squeezes her backside while slamming inside her faster and faster.

Mikoto moans into the kiss and rocks against him. She loved the way that every time they were together, she felt completely full. Every thrust threatened to send her over the edge as he found her spot.

There was a certain beauty to his lustful moans and groans. She loved the feeling of his warm, calloused skin against her own. The feeling of his muscles either on top of her, beneath her, or beside her. It was perfection.

"Fugaku!" She screams in pleasure as another powerful thrust sent her spiraling straight into ecstasy.

It didn't take long for her lover to join her. She smiles and exchanges a heated kiss with her lover, as Fugaku slides outside of her and wraps his arms around the dark beauty. That was just fine with Mikoto though. She loved to cuddle after making love.

 **End Honeymoon Lemon**

"Mmm I love you." Mikoto whispers as she desperately tries to catch her breath.

"I love you as well." Fugaku tells her and with that, he kisses her forehead before covering them both with the blankets.

It didn't take long for the two lovers to drift off into the Land of Dreams. Both completely satisfied and content without a care in the world. Well that was until morning came.

Fugaku notices that his wife was looking in the mirror rather anxiously. Frowning her gets up and goes to her. Once he was behind her, the Uchiha wastes no time in wrapping his arms around her slip waist and asking what was wrong.

"You don't look like a woman who just had a wonderful Honeymoon Night. What's wrong?" The other Uchiha asks.

"It's just that we didn't use any protection. We probably should have asked Daisuke when he or his brother was born. It would be a good idea to try to keep the timeline on schedule." She observes.

Fugaku frowns as he considers his wife's words. She certainly had a good point. Still he didn't particularly care for trying to line up the conception of their sons as if it was a mission.

"I think that we should just let things develop naturally. That and I don't think that Daisuke will tell us that sort of thing. He'd be estimating anyway. Even if you subtract nine months from their birthday, most pregnancies are either a little shorter or longer than expected." Her husband reasons.

"That's true. Well I suppose that we should get back to enjoying our Honeymoon." She says with a sly smile as she turns around and embraces him.

"Yes. I think that would be a fine idea myself." He agrees with a smirk.

Back in the Leaf Village, Sasuke sighs in relief. Sarutobi was skeptical of his request to join the teacher training program, but he had granted it. Thankfully, he hadn't asked any further questions.

"I know that this likely has to do with your plans to change the future somehow. I'm going to trust you on this. I want you to know that I will be watching you like a hawk though. I still do not know why you came here or when you are going back to your time, but I will protect my village. Do you understand me?" He asks.

Sasuke nods in response. Honestly, he didn't know how he would have reacted if their roles were reversed. Sarutobi was only being smart by being suspicious of him.

The man had no real reason to trust him. Not really. That and his Clan was on the fringes of the Leaf Village. It was a wonder that he hadn't carted Sasuke off to be interrogated, let alone that he was helping the Uchiha with his mission.

"Thank you. I understand completely and you won't regret this decision. I promise you that." He whispers.

"I sincerely hope for your sake, that I don't. I may not look it, but I am still one of the strongest ninjas in the Five Great Nations. Should I find out that you are trying to deceive me or plotting against the Leaf, you will regret it. I can promise you that much." The Third Hokage says.

"You've made yourself clear. Thank you. Thank you for giving me this chance." Sasuke whispers.

Sarutobi sighs as he regards the young ninja in front of him. He was a man who was willing to risk everything to likely prevent something from happening or force something to happen. That could be a good thing or a bad thing.

The truth of the matter was that he had no way of knowing if Daisuke was his friend or his foe. The Hokage had certainly thought about sending him off to be interrogated. For some reason though, he was almost positive that such a decision would end in disaster and that was why he hadn't ordered the interrogation.

"You're welcome. You'll have to excuse me though. I have other matters to attend to." He says as he gestures towards the mountain of paperwork that had piled up on his desk.

"Yes, of course." Sasuke says with a bow and with that, he darted off.

The last thing that he wanted to do was strain his relationship with the Hokage. The man had the power to out him. The village would definitely believe Sarutobi over Sasuke. That was just common sense.

He was a Jonin, but he had been away for years. Sasuke was also an Uchiha and his family was on the fringe of the village. Compared to their beloved Hokage, he just didn't stack up.

"Well at least mother's and father's wedding was likely on schedule. So that's something at least. Now, I just have to make sure that Obito doesn't grow up and try to take over the world." Sasuke whispers to himself.

That shouldn't be too hard. Obito wasn't a bad person. He just had a lot of bad luck.

He was a good kid. Maybe, Sasuke could find a way to save his Clan and everyone else's lives who hung in the balance. Who would have thought that one adorable seven year old would hold the fate of so many people in his tiny little hands?


	14. Chapter 14

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** It probably isn't cannon, but I gave Mikoto a Snake Summoning Contract. There is also a very brief brutal battle description of sorts. Squeamish readers may wish to skip that part and leave it up to their imagination.

Chapter 14

For Sasuke, the seasons all started to blur together. He had been in the past for several months now. In some ways, he had never been happier. In other ways, he had never been more anxious. Would his plans actually work?

"Father, what are you doing with a stuffed dinosaur?" Sasuke asks quizzically.

Mikoto and Fugaku had moved into the Uchiha Clan's Head House. Sasuke still lived in his apartment. If he moved in with them, people would have asked questions. Questions that none of them could have answered honestly.

That didn't stop him from regularly visiting his parents though. Married life seemed to agree with both of them. Maybe it was because he had been so young, but he remembered his parents having a cordial relationship. The young Uchiha didn't remember them being inseparable though.

"Right. I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you. You might want to sit down first though." Fugaku replies a bit warily.

That could just be because he had been too young to notice such things, but Sasuke didn't think so. He suspected that Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha had just had other things on their minds besides romance. They had been plotting a Coup. That was why they hadn't been as affectionate towards each other as they were now.

"Alright. Is it bad news?" Sasuke replies warily as he sits down on the couch in the living room.

"No. It's good news. Very good news. This is for Itachi. Your mother is pregnant. I suppose that unless you have a sister that you didn't mention, we know that we are having a boy. No need for an ultrasound." He says in amusement.

Sasuke blinks. He should have seen that coming. The timing certainly lined up.

Mikoto had been 22 when she had Itachi. Fugaku had been 27. His arrival had been two years before Itachi's birth and he had been here awhile. That plus the natural length of pregnancy meant that his brother was on his way.

"That's great news. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I don't have any sisters. Well at least I don't in my timeline. I'm here now though. So that could possibly change." Fugaku's son informs him.

Sasuke frowns at the unexpected though. How did he know that Mikoto was carrying Itachi? He had altered the timeline in pretty drastic ways.

For all he knew, his big brother could be his big sister in this timeline. That or they could have an older sister. The possibilities were nearly endless, really. It was enough to give him a headache.

"We suspected as much. Well this is for our firstborn, whoever he or she might be." Fugaku tells him.

"Great." Sasuke replies with a smile as he glances at the green stuffed dinosaur.

He remembered Itachi used to have that. It had been Itachi's favorite toy. Naturally, that meant it was Sasuke's favorite on principle. He had always wanted to be exactly like his big brother.

"If it's Itachi, I think he'll like that one." The younger ninja says with a sly smile.

"Good. I have been meaning to speak to you about something for awhile. I just didn't know how to broach the subject. I know that you can't tell me everything. You don't want to risk altering the timeline in an unpleasant way, but I would like to know. What sort of relationship did I have with you in the future?" The Uchiha Patriarch inquires as he sits down next to his son.

Sasuke blinks. Whatever he had been expecting Fugaku to ask, that hadn't been it. Damn it. What was he supposed to say?

He couldn't imagine lying to the other man. Still Sasuke wasn't sure that it would be a wise idea to tell him the truth. He'd be risking changing the future and Sasuke knew that it would likely hurt this Fugaku's feelings.

"I'm not sure that it's a good idea for me to tell you that." He says, suddenly finding his feet rather interesting.

"I suspected as much. I will do better this time." Fugaku states simply.

"What?" Sasuke blinks as he looks up at him.

Fugaku sighs. There was a certain hesitation in Daisuke's interactions with him. That hesitation wasn't there with Mikoto.

It was only logical to assume that his wife had been closer to Daisuke than him. The Uchiha Patriarch highly doubted that he had ever been abusive towards his son, but it was obvious that he had been less than warm. Fugaku wasn't sure why that had been the case, but it didn't matter to a certain extent.

"You have your mother's face. It's rather expressive. That and body language does reveal a great deal. You're wary around me. You aren't that way around your mother." The older ninja says.

Sasuke glances at his father anxiously. He was looking for signs that he had hurt the other man's feelings. It was subtle, but there was no denying that he had.

"It's not that we weren't close exactly. Well we weren't, but that wasn't your fault. We simply ran out of time. You died when I was young." Sasuke whispers.

"You don't have to worry about sparing my feelings. Obviously, we had a falling out or something of that nature. There shouldn't be this much distance between a father and his son. I probably did die when you were young, but I clearly also didn't make the most of whatever time we did have together." Fugaku observes.

Sasuke bites his lower lip. He couldn't really deny that. It hadn't been his father's fault though. He was in the midst of planning a Coup and training Itachi to be the next Clan Head. It was only natural that he would be overlooked.

As a child, that had hurt him greatly. He wanted nothing more than to be as strong as his big brother and his father's approval. Those were the wishes of a child though. He was an adult now.

"You were busy with Clan Matters and Itachi was older. It was only natural that you would focus on him first. He was the heir. I don't hold it against you." Sasuke assures him.

He wasn't that petty. Sasuke understood now why Fugaku had been detached. The man had probably thought that he was motivating Sasuke to get stronger, faster by forcing him to develop an independent streak. Ninjas didn't need pats on the back.

"That's no excuse. You're like your mother. You have a way of rationalizing through people's faults and loving them anyway. It's both her greatest strength and her greatest weakness." He says with a sigh.

Fugaku felt a stab of guilt. He had seen those eyes before. The same expression that Mikoto had once worn when her Sharingan had been referred to as Demon Eyes. Hurt.

At some point, he had neglected Sasuke. Oh he was certain that the boy's physical needs had been met, but his emotional needs hadn't been filled. That was obviously at least partially his fault.

"Were you close to your brother?" Fugaku asks, deciding that a subject change would serve them both well.

"I really don't think that's a good idea to tell you. I told you about our relationship because you're smart. You filled in most of the blanks, but Itachi is a blank slate at the moment. I want to keep him that way." Sasuke replies.

"Understandable." Fugaku says.

Meanwhile Emiko was with her husband at the Hyuga Estate. The two of them were having tea with Danzo. Privately, Emiko was less than pleased about this development. Ever the good hostess though, she keeps her displeasure to herself.

"Thank you for inviting me into your lovely home." Danzo says as he sips his tea.

"You are most welcome. Tell me, what concerns you." Hiashi inquires.

Emiko quickly pours her husband a glass of tea. It gave her an excuse not to answer Danzo quickly, if he addressed her. The man was a viper.

"It's the Uchiha. They've grown too numerous and insular. I fear that Sarutobi will do something foolish. He might try to extend them an olive branch by offering Fugaku the chance to be Hokage, after he steps down." He whispers.

"It would make sense tactically. He's a powerful ninja. Intelligent. He could rule competently. It would also help to bridge the gap between that Clan and the rest of the village. I fail to see why this decision would upset you." Hiashi says.

Emiko frowns. She was sure that she knew why though. Danzo wanted the slot for himself. It was unlikely that he would get it though. He and Sarutobi were too close in age.

If the Third Hokage stepped down, he would likely give the position to someone younger than him. That almost certainly eliminated Danzo The ambitious man clearly wouldn't like that.

"I believe the Uchihas to be untrustworthy. The Second Hokage was right to give them the Military Police Force and their own District. It has prevented them from getting too involved in the political affairs of this village. The Curse of Hatred runs too strongly in their blood. Insanity tends to overwhelm their most talented ninjas." He continues.

"Are you asking for me to support your bid for becoming Hokage?" Hiashi asks.

"Yes, I would very much like that. I would also be satisfied with your becoming Hokage. You are also a fit choice. Though in all honesty, anyone would be preferable to an Uchiha." The elderly man states bluntly.

Hiashi's and Emiko's eyes narrow for the briefest of seconds, before returning to normal. They both knew what Danzo was implying. He wanted to know if the Hyuga Clan would help him to assassinate any Uchiha who might be selected.

"Well I do admire honesty in all things. I'm certain that Sarutobi will do the right thing though. He always has in the past. Besides, such a choice would be rather controversial. While it might heal the rift between the Uchihas and the rest of the village, it could also have the opposite effect. Forgive the pun, but it would be playing with fire." Hiashi says with a sly smile.

"My thoughts exactly. Well thank you for the tea. I won't impose any longer. I'm glad that we've had this talk." Danzo says as he nods his head politely at the Noble couple.

"As are we." Emiko replies with a sweet smile.

Danzo nods and walks off. Once he was gone, Emiko lets out the breath that she was holding and glances at her husband anxiously. He couldn't possibly be sanctioning such a thing, could he?

"I'm aware of what you're thinking. Danzo is considering an assassination. We both know it." Hiashi says.

"He's plotting against another Noble Clan. What's to stop him from plotting against us, next time?" Emiko asks softly.

"That's a fair point, My Heart. I have no great love or hatred for the Uchihas though. Is there really a reason to endanger the lives of our family by potentially crossing Danzo in order to aid them, should things go that far?" The Hyuga Patriarch inquires.

Emiko frowns once more. What he was saying was true. They had no real reason to stick their necks out for the Uchihas. It was the principle of the thing though.

"This time it's the Uchihas. Next time, it could be us. Fugaku and Mikoto had a public wedding, I think that they are making attempts to reintegrate their Clan into the village. Danzo's concern may be unwarranted. That and if we help them, they will owe us a favor in the future." She tells him.

She didn't like to fight dirty. Emiko knew that the favor part hadn't been fighting fair. Still the Noblewoman knew that it would elicit the desired result. She knew Hiashi Hyuga almost as well as she knew herself, after all.

"That's a good point. Perhaps we should speak to them." Hiashi says and his wife nods in agreement.

A few hours later, the Legendary Sannin were having a reunion in one of the Leaf's many taverns. It had been months since they had last been together. The Sannin had all ended up pursuing different paths.

Orochimaru performed various missions for the Leaf and conducted experimental research involving Jutsus and their medical applications. Tsunade was now heavily involved with the Leaf's Medical Ninja Training Program as an instructor. Finally, Jirayia had become a Sage, a world traveler, and an author.

"I'm telling you, it's the strangest thing. I can't believe that Sarutobi recommended someone for the Sensei Training Program, who isn't even twenty." Orochimaru says as he takes another drink from his sake.

"It doesn't really matter how old someone is. Only their skill level." Tsunade says with a shrug as she downs her glass.

At first, the Toad Sage didn't pay much mind to his companions' conversation. Jirayia was writing a few quick notes in his notebook. The sight of Tsunade's ample bosom was quite inspirational.

"Jirayia, what do you think?" Orochimaru asks.

"Hmm. Well I'm not sure if they are natural or not. She was so flat when we were Genin." He states.

 _ **SMACK!**_ Tsunade smacks Jirayia and glares at him. She couldn't believe that such a pervert had become a Sage. Clearly, they were giving out that title far more easily than they used dot.

"They're natural and that's not what he was asking you. Pervert." She grumbles at him.

"If you say so and sorry, Orochimaru. I just got a bit distracted by taking notes for my latest novel. What did you want to know?" The white haired man inquires.

"I wanted to know what you think about Sarutobi putting someone under the age of twenty into the Sensei Training Program." The other male Sannin states.

Jirayia pauses as he considers his friend question. It was certainly unusual, but he'd need to know more about the "kid" to give an informed reply. It wasn't really fair to judge someone based solely on their age.

"It does seem a rather unconventional move, but I trust Sarutobi's judgment. That and it's not really fair to judge someone that we've never met based solely on their age." The Toad Sage answers.

"A fair point. I think that we should remedy that immediately." Orochimaru says and with that, he heads off in search of Daisuke.

"We'd better follow him to make sure he doesn't earn the ire of the entire Uchiha Clan." Tsunade says with a sigh and Jirayia nods in agreement.

They quickly pay for their drinks and follow their friend. God only knows what sort of mischief he was about to get himself into. Orochimaru's curiosity had a way of getting the better of him sometimes.

Orochimaru found Daisuke in one of the Leaf's training grounds. Perfect. Hmm. Let's see what this kid could do. He quickly summons one of his snakes and directs it to attack.

"What the Hell?!" Sasuke asks as he does a backwards flip and Summons Garuda just in time to avoid being grabbed inside the serpent's mighty jaws.

It wasn't Manda. That was good. That meant that one hundred people hadn't been sacrificed to summon it. The snake in question wasn't Aoda either though. He recognizes it as being one of Orochimaru's lesser known Summons.

"That was an impressive reaction time." Orochimaru says as he reveals himself.

"Better call off your snake. I'd rather not have to kill it because it has an idiot for a Master." Sasuke hisses at him from his position on Garuda's back.

"Feisty. Well I suppose that is expected. You're an Uchiha, after all. Hmm. You're also young to have a Summon Contract. I'm beginning to see why Sarutobi would admit you to the Training Program so quickly. Still I can't imagine that this is the extent of your abilities." He says.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. It seemed that no matter the era, Orochimaru was going to have an unhealthy interest in him. In the future, he would certainly get stronger thanks to the Sannin. He had no use for him now though.

He certainly wasn't going to risk exposure because the Sannin was curious. He'd have to deal with him quickly. Sasuke couldn't risk showing Orochimaru any of his more fancy moves.

"Let's see how you and your hawk handle Manda!" Orochimaru says as he summons the mighty serpent.

Sasuke's eyes widen. He didn't think that Orochimaru was that far gone yet in this era. He had already sacrificed at least one hundred people.

The Uchiha man was also almost certain that it was far more than a hundred. Orochimaru was summoning Manda in a rather casual manner. This likely wasn't the first time that he had done so.

"Ah. I see you are afraid of snakes. Interesting. MANDA, ATTACK!" He says as the serpent lunges at Sasuke and Garuda.

"He might be, but I'm not. AODA, ATTACK!" Sasuke hears a familiar feminine voice call out.

Sasuke blinks as he saw his future Summon appear. Aoda had just been Summoned by his mother. His mother apparently had a Snake Contract. He'd never known that about her.

"Mikoto, always a pleasure. This is all just a misunderstanding. Sarutobi sent me to ensure that the boy deserved to be in the Sensei Training Program. I wasn't actually going to hurt him." Orochimaru says in a deceptively charming voice.

"You're a liar! Aoda, kill that beast!" She hisses in a manner more befitting of the serpents on the battlefield than a human at the moment.

"Yes, Mistress!" Aoda says and just like that, the two reptiles were engaged in mortal combat.

Well some things never changed, Sasuke muses to himself. Aoda was always a faithful Summon. He was nothing like Manda who required a ten dozen sacrifices every time he was used.

"Mikoto, you are overreacting. I had no intentions of actually harming the boy. I was just testing his abilities." Orochimaru says.

"Tsukuyomi!" Mikoto calls out as she locks her now ruby red gaze on Orochimaru.

That's when Sasuke notices two other figures approaching the makeshift battlefield. He recognizes them as a younger Jirayia and Tsunade. So all three of the Sannin were here then. Interesting.

Unbeknownst to the three other people on the battlefield, Orochimaru and Mikoto were not in another plane that the Uchiha woman had created. One that was a world of black and red. A world that was unfamiliar and terrifying to the Sannin man.

"What did you do?!" He demands.

"I used a Jutsu known as Tsukuyomi. Essentially, it allows me to create my own world. I control even the perception of time here. To Daisuke and our Summons, we are just standing still and almost no time will pass at all for them. To us, well I can make you feel as though you were trapped here for days." She informs him.

Orochimaru feels himself bristle with rage. How dare she treat him this way?! He was a Sannin and her elder! He was also a fellow Leaf Ninja.

"This is an impressive trick, but you are forgetting something. You can't kill me in a Jutsu like this. You can make me feel like you have killed me, but it doesn't harm the physical body as much as the mind. When I get out of this, you'll regret it. You can't possibly beat me in combat. We both know that." He snarls at her.

"You're right. In hand to hand combat, my odds of winning are low to put it charitably. This isn't hand to hand combat though. By the time that I finish with you, you'll be little more than a vegetable. You won't be able to lift a finger against me or Daisuke, any time soon." She says with a cruel smile.

Orochimaru's eyes narrow. Normally, he would have said the woman was bluffing, but he knew that smile. He had displayed it to countless of his medical research victims. She was serious in her threat.

"You will regret this. You won't kill me. We both know that." He warns her.

"You're right. I won't kill you, but I think we both know there are things worse than death. You'll recover of course. Once you do, you should consider one very important attack. An attack on one Uchiha is an attack on all of us." She replies.

Orochimaru watches her with growing alarm. She was correct. It was very likely that she could come up with something suitably horrific to freeze him with fear. After he recovered, her Clan would already know what he had done. They would want revenge.

"You're a Legendary Sannin, but do you really think that you could beat all of us? Let's pretend for a moment that you are that delusional, do you think that the Third Hokage would really overlook that large of a slaughter? He wouldn't do that. Not even for you." Mikoto finishes with a smirk.

That was the beginning of Orochimaru's three days of torment. It was endless. He never would have suspected that such a sweet looking woman could be capable of such sadism. It was truly too bad she was already married. She had a wonderfully wicked mind.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade calls out in the real world.

"He can't hear you. She's got him trapped in a Genjutsu." Sasuke whispers as he directs Garuda to land and gets off the hawk's back.

"I'm so sorry about this. Orochimaru was just curious about what you were capable of. It's rare to see such a young ninja granted entry into that training program." Jirayia says as Tsuande nods in agreement.

Sasuke sighs and nods in understanding. It was only natural that Orochimaru would be curious. He wasn't the only one though. The raven haired man could scarcely imagine what his mother must be making Orochimaru see. What she must be making him feel.

"It's alright. I wasn't actually hurt. Mikoto just didn't take an unprovoked attack on her Clansman well." He explains.

A few seconds later, Orochimaru collapses to the ground. His body was convulsing and there was saliva dripping out of his mouth. Sasuke still didn't now what his mother had done to the Sannin to elicit such a response, but it must have been particularly gruesome.

That's when a loud THUD is heard. Manda's body fell over as Aoda releases him from his jaws. He had suffocated the other serpent to death. Orochimaru's favorite Summon had breathed his last.

"Mistress, I have done as you commanded." Aoda says.

Mikoto smiles and walks over to the giant snake. She pats his cheek affectionately, before whispering something into his ear. Whatever she had said, caused him to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Orochimaru attacked Daisuke unprovoked. I saw to it that he'll think twice before attacking our family again." She says, eyeing the other Sannin warily.

If Jirayia and Tsunade wanted to avenge their comrade that was as fight that she didn't think she could win. It would almost certainly end in defeat, even with Daisuke's help. She could only hope that they would understand what she had done.

"I was afraid that he would do something like this. Come on, Tsunade. Let's get him to the hospital." The Toad Sage says with a heavy sigh.

"Alright. It's not your fault, Mikoto. He attacked first. It was a stupid thing for him to do." The busty medic mutters as she and Jirayia Flicker off with Orochmaru in tow.

"What did you do to him?" Sasuke asks his mother curiously.

 **Warning Brief Torture Description**

"Well I may or may not have forced Orochimaru to slit his own throat and slowly dismember himself. Repeatedly. The Tsukuyomi is a most useful Jutsu." She says cheerfully.

 **End Brief Torture Description**

Sasuke blinks. His mother had done WHAT?! She had to be joking. There was no way that she was capable of such savagery.

"Did you really force him to do that?" He asks.

"Perhaps I did and perhaps I didn't. Either way, two good things came of this day. He learned never to attack my son and I believe I shall have a fine pair of snake skinned boots." She says with a smile.


	15. Chapter 15

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter.

Chapter 15

"You really shouldn't be fighting, when you're pregnant." Sasuke points out.

"Fugaku already told you? I'll have to have to speak to him about that. I wanted both of us to tell you together." The Uchiha woman says with a sigh.

Sasuke nods dumbly. He wasn't sure what else there was to say. His mother had just temporarily put Orochimaru in something resembling a coma. Honestly, he had no idea that his mother could use the Tsukuyomi. Let alone that Mikoto Uchiha was capable of such savagery.

He remembered his mother as a kind woman who enjoyed baking cookies. She was the Clan's Matriarch and a doting housewife. The woman that he remembered certainly would never have made snake skinned boots out of Manda's corpse.

"Yes, he told me. We should probably get back. I imagine that the Hokage will want to talk to both of us soon about what happened. It's unlikely that the Sannin aren't going to mention this to him." Sasuke states.

Mikoto sighs and nods in agreement. That much was true. Orochimaru had been Sarutobi's student. That was a powerful bond. One that wasn't easily forgotten. Sadly, that meant her maternal display was likely going to get her into trouble.

She didn't particularly care though. Daisuke was her son. Orochimaru had attacked him unprovoked. Of course, she was going to react!

"True. I'm still going to have a nice pair of boots though. That should remind Orochimaru what happens when he attacks an Uchiha." She says smugly as the two of them Flicker back the Uchiha District.

What they saw when they got there, surprised both of them. Hiashi and Emiko were speaking with Fugaku. The three of them appeared to be in rather deep conversation. Naturally, the mother and son became immensely curious.

"Ah Daisuke, you're back from your patrol. Mikoto, My Love, Hiashi and Emiko would like to join us for lunch today. You do not mind, do you?" Fugaku inquires.

Mikoto raises an eyebrow. Since when did the Hyuga Clan socialize with the Uchiha one? The two families were distantly related, but they had never acted like kin.

Personally, she believed that it was an informal rivalry because of the Byakugan and Sharingan. Though she digressed, this social visit was a rather unique occurrence. Truth be told, it made the young Matriarch feel more than a little uneasy.

"I don't mind at all. It's always nice to have guests for lunch. I'll see you later, Daisuke." Mikoto says to her son with a sweet smile.

Sasuke wasn't oblivious. He knew that in this timeline, "Daisuke" had no right to eat lunch with the Clan Heads. Sasuke did in the future, but Daisuke was another matter.

"Of course. Have a pleasant day, Lady Mikoto and Lord Fugaku. You as well Lord Hiashi and Lady Emiko." Sasuke states with a polite bow, before heading off.

"He seems like a nice boy." Emiko offers pleasantly.

Mikoto nods. This was a rather strange situation. The Uchiha woman was almost positive that no Hyuga had ever set foot in the Uchiha District before. Today, that had changed though. Two of them had.

"He is." Fugaku states with a smile of his own.

"Shall we go enjoy our lunch?" Hiashi inquires.

Fugaku and Mikoto nod in agreement as they lead the other couple inside. Thankfully, Mikoto had already prepared launch before her incident with Sasuke. It was a simple matter to reheat it with a Fire Jutsu while Fugaku pours them all some Sake.

"You have a beautiful home." Emiko says kindly.

"Thank you. We do try." Mikoto replies, unsure of how to respond to this unexpected overture by the Hyugas.

Hiashi sighs. He knew that this had to be terribly confusing for the two ninjas sitting across from them. Unfortunately, he also knew that his wife was right. They had to do this.

"I suspect that you are wondering why we have come here on this day." The Hyuga Patriarch says.

"It may have crossed my mind that the two of you didn't come here merely to enjoy my wife's wonderful culinary skills." The other man retorts.

Fugaku didn't like this in the slightest. The Hyugas in general were content to ignore the Uchihas and his Clan responded in kind. Why would Hiashi and Emiko be reaching out to them now?

"Your wife's culinary skills are impressive, but you're correct. That isn't the only reason why we came here today." Hiashi replies.

It was one thing for Mikoto and Emiko to be on friendly terms outside the District. That would only raises a few eyebrows, but was no cause for alarm. It was something else entirely for Emiko to bring her husband onto Uchiha Land.

Surely, the woman wouldn't take such a risk for a social visit. Emiko was far too smart to be that foolish. So he knew that there had to be another reason for their sudden appearance.

"We came here to warn you. Danzo seems rather concerned that Fugaku might be named Sarutobi's successor. He is a very ambitious man and easily jealous. He doesn't trust your Clan in the slightest. We have reason to fear that if you were offered such a position, Danzo would try to have you assassinated." Emiko says in a rush.

Hiashi nods in agreement as he observes the other married couple carefully. There was really no way to know how the two of them would respond to their warning. They might simply believe that he and Emiko were trying to trick them for all he knew.

"That sounds disturbingly plausible. Danzo has made no secret that he harbors nothing, but animosity towards our family." The Uchiha Patriarch says with a sigh.

He glances at his wife. Fugaku wanted to know what Mikoto thought of this entire situation. She was the Clan's Matriarch. That meant that she had a say in such things. A say equal to his.

"That much is most certainly true." Hiashi concedes.

He had never cared for Danzo all that much. He admired the man's intelligence and his dedication to the Leaf, but he wasn't a fool. The lavender eyed man was well aware that it was likely Danzo had committed horrible atrocities to keep the Leaf Village safe and would likely do so again.

"We appreciate your warning, but I wonder why you would extend it. If Danzo finds out that you told us this, he won't be pleased. That man's reach is quite far." Fugaku observes.

This was the part that Hiashi had been dreading. Fugaku wasn't oblivious. The man certainly understood that you didn't get something for nothing.

"I believe that my wife is correct. If Danzo is plotting against your Clan, what is to stop him from doing so to others? What is to stop the man from plotting against our family? It is in our best interest to find a way to curtail his ambitions sooner, rather than later." The Hyuga Patriarch replies cautiously.

Mikoto frowns and nods. She didn't think Hiashi was lying. The man was many things, but a liar was most certainly not one of them. He probably wasn't telling the whole truth either.

The Hyugas had warned them about a great potential danger. They were now in their debt. Someday, they would likely collect on that.

"A fair point. Is that all you wish to do though? You merely wish to notify us of the potential threat or do you mean to stand with us, if the worst comes to pass?" The Patriarch inquires.

He knew that was a gamble. Rarely, were Lords so direct with each other. Hiashi struck him as the type that might appreciate his frankness in this situation though.

"While we wouldn't relish the idea of going up against Danzo, the Hyuga Clan would not stand by and allow an innocent man to be slaughtered over one man's ambitions." The lavender eyed man assures him.

"Good. It means a great deal to us to hear you say that." Fugaku replies.

Meanwhile in the present, Hinata in her Clan's gardens when suddenly a barrage of images hit her. The images, sights, sounds, scents, and even the sensation of touch were overwhelming. They made her drop to her knees.

 _"Hinata, you needn't be so anxious. He agreed to enter this match. Just like you did. He's not being coerced into becoming your husband." Emiko told her with a smile as she brushed her eldest's daughter's long hair._

 _The act had always brought comfort to Hinata. She didn't really understand why. She always felt calmer when her mother brushed her hair, even though she was fully capable of doing it herself._

 _"He said yes out of duty. We barely know each other." The younger woman whispered._

 _"Well you're both the same age. You both care about your respective Clans. That's something at least. You aren't marrying a complete stranger and he is a handsome boy. Perhaps in the end your marriage will be based on something more than just duty." Emiko said as she finished brushing Hinata's hair._

 _Hinata nodded. She wasn't entirely convinced that her mother was right. Sasuke wasn't a bad person, but she just didn't know him that well. She couldn't believe that she was going to be his wife._

 _"I think I'm going to go make some tea." She mumbled._

 _"Good idea. It might calm your nerves." Emiko agreed as she kissed Hinata on the top of her head and let the other woman depart._

 _Hinata headed to the kitchen and began to make some tea. A few minutes later, she felt something slide onto her neck. She blinked and looked down._

 _It was a necklace. A beautiful necklace. One that was in the shape of the Uchiha Crest and made out of precious stones. That's when she felt lips pressed against her cheek and heard a man whisper into her ear._

 _"This wasn't what I had planned. I know that you know that there was another future that would have played out far differently than this one. I saw your letters that you wrote to yourself, but I will try to be a good husband to you." Sasuke murmured into her ear._

"That's how it happened or is going to happen." She whispered to herself.

It was an arranged marriage. She was going to be in an arranged marriage with Sasuke. A marriage that they had both agreed to for what seemed to be for political purposes.

Hinata touches her necklace as she tries to will her heart to stop pounding. The timelines must be getting closer. They had seen things, heard things, and now she was "remembering" things that hadn't even happened yet.

Unbeknownst to Hinata, she was far from the only Leaf Villager to be experiencing such a sensation. Kakashi was suddenly barreled over his desk as he experienced his own "memory." One that he knew that he had never lived.

 _"Kakashi, where's my wedding kimono sash?!" Obito demanded._

 _"It's in your hands?" The silver haired ninja replied with a chuckle as he turned another page in his book._

 _Obito was getting married today. He was getting married to Rin. The Jonin was his Best Man and was naturally relishing his role. He loved to drive the other ninja crazy and today, he was most certainly succeeding in that goal._

 _"Oh. Right. Well thanks!" Obito said as he tied the sash around his navy blue wedding kimono._

 _The Kimono was quite regal. It had the Uchiha Crest on the back and was made of the finest silk. Kakashi hated to admit it, but Obito looked good in his wedding kimono._

 _With that, the groomsmen all made their way outside. Uchihas tended to take their weddings very seriously and Obito's was no exception. It was all rather grand and because he was marrying Rin, there were flowers everywhere._

 _"She always did love flowers." The ninja whispered to himself._

 _Kakashi smiled as he watched them exchange their vows a short while later. Rin wore a beautiful matching navy blue wedding kimono with the crest also displayed on her back. Her sash was red, so were the roses in her bouquet._

 _His friends were deeply in love and were getting married. It was the perfect day. Well until Obito decided to be a jerk and tossed the garter belt straight at him. After that, Kakakshi had to dance with every single woman at the wedding. His feet were in utter agony the next morning because of Obito's stunt._

When Kakashi finally comes out of the daydream, he sees a picture on his desk. It was a wedding picture. What he had seen had been real or would be real.

"Is this really happening?" He wonders out loud.

Had Sasuke truly changed the timeline to such an extent. It seemed almost impossible to believe. Then again, this was Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto both had a habit of accomplishing the impossible just to prove that they could.

"I hope that you known what you're doing, Sasuke." Kakashi whispers to himself.

Everyone's fate were currently in the hands of one missing Uchiha. Sasuke could literally be the salvation of many people or he could wind up getting them all killed. It was all up to him now.

"The fate of the world is once again in the hands of a teenager, just like during the war. God help ups all." The Hokage says as he pours himself another glass of wine.

Back in the past, the Hyugas had just left the Uchiha District. Immediately, Sasuke races inside his family's house. He wanted to know what was going on and he wanted to know now.

"What happened? What'd they want?" Sasuke asks.

"They believe a man called Danzo may be plotting against us. The Hyugas seem fairly convinced that Danzo will only make a move, if one of our own is chosen by Sarutobi to be his successor. Hiashi and Emiko believe that if it that were to happen, Danzo would orchestrate an assassination." Mikoto whispers.

Sasuke blinks. Apparently, Danzo's scheming had started early. Actually, it had probably never stopped. The man had probably been born a viper.

"I see. Why would the Hyugas warn you though?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

Fugaku sighs. He had wondered that very same thing and now he had a pretty good idea why they had acted so out of character. There was more than one reason of course, but one stuck out in particular.

"It concerns them that Danzo would move against a Clan. They're worried that Danzo might target them next. That and obviously, Hiashi enjoys knowing that I am now in his debt. It's a smart move from that perspective. A gamble, but it could pay off." The Uchiha Patriarch explains.

"You mean he's willing to risk Danzo's wrath, if it means you'll owe him a favor later on." Sasuke says.

His father could only nod in confirmation and Sasuke sighs in response. Well it was probably a good thing. After all, what was the worst that the Hyugas could ask for later on?

"Well it's a start. We really should try to forge alliances with other Clans. The wedding was a good start, but we should do more than that. Weddings don't come around often enough to make a significant difference in relations between us and the rest of the Leaf." Sasuke reasons.

Mikoto's and Fugaku's eyes narrow. Daisuke was very insistent about making nice with people outside their Clan. They might not know exactly what had happened in the future, but the pieces were starting to fall together.

Something had happened between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the Leaf. Something bad. Bad enough to make Daisuke feel that Time Travel was an acceptable risk.

"Are you ever going to tell us what happened?" Mikoto asks softly.

"I'm sorry, mother. I can't risk it. You know that I can't. I don't want you to worry though. It's bad for you and the baby." Sasuke points out.

Mikoto sighs and nods. After doing so, she kisses Daisuke's forehead. She hated this. She hated that her own child had to keep secrets from her to keep their family safe, but he did.

"You should probably get some rest. I hear the Sensei Training Program is rather intensive." The Uchiha Matriarch warns him with a sly smile.

"Yes, mother. Goodnight, father. Goodnight, mother." Sasuke says as he departs for his apartment.

Fugaku sighs once he was out of earshot. Mikoto didn't know the truth. He had failed the boy in some way. Apparently, a fairly major way.

That was one thing that he hoped his wife would never find out. Fugaku didn't count it as keeping a secret from her. Not really. It hadn't happened yet. He still had time to make things right between him and Daisuke.

"He's a good boy. I think he's trying to give us clues." Fugaku says.

"I think so as well. Do we have anymore cabbage left?" Mikoto asks.

"Pregnancy cravings are a strange things. Cabbage? Wait. Nevermind. We do. I'll go get you some." Fugaku says as he walks off to help his wife satisfy her strange craving.

Mikoto smiles as she waits for her husband to return. It was nice knowing that he didn't mind indulging her. She knew that he didn't really understand the power of pregnancy cravings, but well at least he was trying.

Meanwhile Obito was out by the lake, just as the Sun was beginning to set. He was skipping rocks with Rin. The young Uchiha was trying to show her the proper way to skip them when Shisui Flickered into view.

"Hi!" He says brightly with a smile.

"He's really good at the Body Flicker Technique." Rin observes with a giggle.

"Yeah. He is. Hey, Shisui. You want to skip some rocks with us?" Obito asks.

Shisui beams and toddles over to his friends. The three children were happily skipping rocks, unaware that they were being watched. They were being watched by three members of ROOT.

"Should we grab them?" One whispers.

"No. Now isn't the time. First, Lord Danzo must curry favor with other Noble Clans. Make them agree with him that the Uchihas are a threat. Once that's done, then we can grab some Uchihas and that will be the spark needed. After that, it will be a simple matter to fan the flames of hatred and even Sarutobi won't be able to argue that they're dangerous." The second whispers back.

Shisui pauses skipping rocks and tilts his head to the side. It was strange. He heard voices, but he couldn't tell where they were coming from.

"What's the matter, Shisui?" Rin asks him.

"Voices. Someone else is here." The little boy says as he scrunches up his nose in concentration.

He had to figure out where the voices were coming from. They didn't sound friendly. What was going on?

The ROOT Members heard that and quickly departed. There was no way that they were going to get caught by kids. Lord Danzo would never forgive them, if they made such a rookie mistake.

"Alright. Be careful. Let's have a look." Obito says as he grabs his kunai set and Rin does the same, before the three of them scan the area.

About ten minutes later, the children decide that Shisui must have imagined things. There was no one there. It was a bit weird, but Rin and Obito figure that it was just something that Shisui's overactive imagination had conjured up.

"It's getting a bit late. I should probably head home." Rin says.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow?" Obito asks hopefully.

After all, it was a rare day that he got to spend with Rin without Kakashi around. He was pretty sure that Kakashi knew that he liked Rin and that was why he did it. That jerk!

"Yeah! Cya!" Rin calls out as she scurries off.

"Alright, Shisui. Let's head home." Obito says with a smile and the two Uchihas dash off towards the Uchiha District.

When they got there, they were greeted by Aiya and Kenji. Obito and Shisui were a little nervous about that. Had they really stayed out that late? Uh oh. Were they in trouble?

"There you two are. Come along now. I made lamb for dinner. You two need to be more careful now. There are bad people lurking about the village. Don't go anywhere without an adult. Alright?" Aiya asks.

Obito frowns. That was odd. Aiya had never given him that warning before. That meant that something had happened.

Had Shisui actually heard something, after all? Were bad people watching them while they were skipping rocks? Why would they do that though? It didn't make any sense.

"I like lamb!" Shisui exclaims.

"Who doesn't?" Kenji asks with a chuckle as he affectionately ruffles the child's hair.

"What's going on? Who are the bad people?" Obito asks.

Kenji and Aiya sigh as they hug the two wayward children closely. Neither ninja wanted to frighten them, but it was important to warn them. The married couple had only been briefed by Fugaku and Mikoto about the unsettling situation with Danzo.

Sadly, neither of them would put it past Danzo to have hired thugs have a go at children. The man would do anything to keep the village "safe." It didn't matter if the threat was real or imaginary. He would take action.

"It's a very long story. There will be a Clan Meeting about it soon to explain it more. Come on. We wouldn't want dinner to get cold." Aiya says.

Shisui was only four. That was why he didn't hesitate at all to take Aiya's hand and be lead off to dinner. If the adults thought everything was okay for now, then it probably was.

Obito didn't have that luxury. At seven, he was just old enough to realize that something serious was going on. He was also old enough to realize that even if adults acted normal, that didn't necessarily mean everything was okay.

"Obito, are you coming?" Kenji calls out to him.

"Yes! I'm coming!" The Uchiha boy says as he follows the ninja couple and Shisui inside the house.

The adults apparently weren't going to tell him anything yet. Maybe, he'd find out something at the meeting. If not though, he was going to get all the other kids together and they would find out what was going on.

Adults really needed to stop treating kids like babies. They weren't babies. They could handle the truth! They were smart and strong too! The only difference was that they were littler.

"This looks yummy!" Shisui says happily.

"I certainly hope so." Aiya replies with a smile as she sets the table and they all settle down to eat.


	16. Chapter 16

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 16

The next day, Sarutobi sighs as he summons three Uchihas and two Sannin to his office. He wasn't sure that he really wanted to know what had happened, but he knew that it must have been significant. Orochimaru was still unconscious.

"Will someone kindly explain to me why Orochimaru is currently in the Intensive Care Unit?" The Third Hokage says.

"Orochimaru attacked me. He wanted to see if I was really worthy of being admitted to the Sensei Training Program. Mikoto defended me." Sasuke explains simply.

It was probably best not to mention the fact that his mother had used a Genjutsu to torture Orochimaru into submission. Sasuke was confident that Sarutobi wouldn't appreciate that part. After all, Orochimaru had been his student.

The Hokage blinks. He knew that Mikoto was a formidable Jonin in her own right, but she had defeated a Sannin? The Uchiha Matriarch had defeated Orochmaru on her own and badly enough to put him in a coma? That was an unexpected development to say the least.

"There isn't a single physical mark on him. I can only assume that you used some type of Genjutsu." Sarutobi observes.

"My wife used the Tsukuyomi on him. He attacked a member of our Clan. Orochimaru attacked him unprovoked and as any loyal Clanswoman would do, she defended her kin." Fugaku states firmly.

Sarutobi nods in acknowledgement at the proud Uchiha's words. It was only natural that he would defend his wife in a situation like this. Unfortunately, it wasn't difficult for him to imagine Orochmaru doing exactly what he was being accused of.

"Tsunade, Jirayia, would you care to weigh in on this matter?" The Third Hokage inquires.

"We were all having a meal together and Orochimaru was discussing how he was surprised that you would allow such a young ninja into the program." Tsunade says uncomfortably.

She didn't care for this situation at all. Orochimaru had just put them all in a horribly uncomfortable position. They couldn't exactly sanction Leaf Villagers attacking their own for no reason, but a man had been hospitalized. If word of this got out, it would only sour the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village even worse.

"Orochimaru then took off and challenged Daisuke. Mikoto happened upon them and didn't take too kindly to his challenge. I wouldn't punish her. She was just trying to protect her family. I hate to say it, but Orochimaru went too far that time." The Toad Sage says.

Sarutobi sighs. If Tsunade and Jirayia were even backing up Mikoto's story, that meant that Orochimaru must have truly been in the wrong. His student was clearly going down a dark path.

He wasn't entirely certain that it was one he could get Orochimaru off of. Sarutobi knew that he had to try though. He was the Hokage. It was his job to protect the Leaf Village and that was exactly what the elderly ninja was going to do.

"For now, I believe that it would be best to leave this unpleasantness behind us. I will speak with Orochimaru. You have my word that such an incident will not happen again." The Hokage assures them.

"Thank you." Sasuke says with a relieved smile.

Thank goodness. That could have gone much worse. They had all gotten really lucky. Orochimaru's stunt could have ended in disaster for all of them, if Sarutobi was a less understanding man.

Meanwhile in the present, Hiashi was performing his daily training regime. It didn't matter what else had scheduled on any given day, the Hyuga Patriarch would always find a way to squeeze his training in.

Sometimes that meant sacrificing more sleep than his wife would have approved of, but that was alright. A ninja must expect the unexpected. That meant that one had to be in tip top fighting form at all times. Sleep could wait.

"You always did work too hard." He hears a soft voice whisper in his ear.

"A strong body can lead to a strong mind." Hiashi replies automatically, not recognizing the voice at first.

"You never change, My Love. You should still take better care of yourself though." The woman says.

That's when he turns around to address her. Hiashi's eyes widen in shock. The Hyuga man couldn't believe what he was seeing!

Emiko. His wife! His wife was standing right next to him, but how was that possible? She'd been dead for years.

"Emiko?" The lavender eyed man whispers as though he was afraid the mere act of talking would cause her to evaporate.

"I know that you don't like your training sessions interrupted, but you have bags under your eyes. You really should get some sleep." She replies with a serene smile.

The same smile that he had fallen in love with all those years ago. Was she really real though? Was the beautiful woman a ghost? Had he died and not realized it? Had they been reunited in the afterlife?

"Is that really you? Are you real?" The Hyuga Patriarch asks again.

"Of course, I'm real. Hiashi, what has gotten into you. I truly believe that you should come to bed immediately. You need to rest." Emiko insists.

"Alright?" The bewildered man says and his wife nods approvingly as she leads him back to their room.

Could she really be a ghost? She looked the same age that he did, despite the fact that she had died years ago. The touch of her hand was warm. It was so alive.

"Did someone use the Forbidden Jutsu to revive you?" Hiashi demands.

He had heard of such things. The dead could be revived using a Jutsu that had been forbidden years ago. It was wrong though. It was wrong to disturb the dead in such a way.

If someone had defiled his wife's spirit in such a way, he would make them pay. There was no way that he could tolerate such blasphemy, especially not towards his kind wife. That was the only logical explanation he could think of. It had to be THAT Jutsu.

"What Jutsu are you talking about?" Emiko asks in confusion as she pulls back the covers from their bed.

"The one that brings back the dead." Hiashi tells her as he watches his wife prepare the bed for them.

"I'm not dead though." The beautiful woman informs him, her face filled with confusion.

What was she talking about? The Leaf Villager had died years ago. He had attended his funeral. Hiashi had honored her memory with the rest of the Clan and then proceeded to cry himself to sleep that night in silence.

"You are though. You died years ago!" Hiashi exclaims.

"No, My Love. I'm not. You should really get some rest. It sounds like you have been imagining rather frightful things." She tells him as she kisses his cheek.

As soon as she kissed his cheek, her body became transparent. She was slowly fading away. Hiashi tries desperately to hold onto her, but she slipped right through his fingers. Again.

"Damn it!" He snarls as he punches a fist through the wall.

He had been hearing rumors for awhile. There had been sightings reported throughout the Leaf Village of "dead people," for awhile now. Hiashi had never put much stock in rumors before though, but now the Hyuga Patriarch might have to reevaluate that.

"I need to speak with the Hokage." He mutters and with that, he Flickers off to Kakashi's office.

He didn't bother to knock or announce his presence. When the guards tried to question why he was there, Hiashi didn't respond well to that. He normally prided himself on his self-control, but this was one time when he just couldn't maintain his composure.

"I need to speak with the Hokage immediately! I've heard the rumors that others have been seeing dead people and now I would like to report my own sighting!" He thunders at them.

Hiashi knew by the looks on their faces, that the guards were worried he had completely lost his mind. The Hyuga man couldn't bring himself to care though. If there was some chance that his wife had returned to him, he was going to investigate it!

It didn't matter how small the chance was, Hiashi would take it. After Emiko's death, he had never been the same. Her absence had left a deep hole in his heart that he had never really been able to fill.

"Yes, Lord Hiashi." One of the guards says anxiously as he darts inside the Hokage's Office.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Hiashi needs to speak with you immediately. He says he has to file a most urgent report." The Leaf Ninja says.

"Send him in." Kakashi says as he mentally braces himself.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why Hiashi had come to see him. The man had seen something or someone. Now, Kakashi would have to face the difficult task of convincing Hiashi that he hadn't seen what he saw.

Meanwhile the Uchiha family was making their way back to the District. Fugaku clearly wanted to get his wife's mind off of things and it looked like he had chosen a rather ninja way to do it. Sasuke blinks upon hearing his father's suggestion.

"You want to what?" He asks skeptically.

"I think that it would be a good idea for us to train together. Mikoto can observe to ensure that no underhanded tactics are used." He says.

When he was a child, there were few things that would have made him happier. Now, Sasuke was conflicted. His father wanted to bond, but in a way that could get Fugaku killed.

His father was strong. Sasuke never doubted that for a moment, but he wasn't in the same league. If he accepted that challenge, he was going to have to proceed very carefully.

"Well that's good. We would have to lay some ground rules though." Sasuke replies cautiously.

"Well obviously we aren't going to use any attacks that could be fatal. Perhaps it would be best to stick to Taijutsu." Fugaku says.

He could work with that. Sasuke knew that he was a lot stronger than his father, but Taijutsu was less likely to get out of hand than Ninjutsu. Though his Genjutsu was probably considered average at best.

"Fugaku, this is silly." Mikoto says as she sits down on a rather large rock and watches her husband and son get ready to train.

"This is training. Training is never silly. Besides, I think the boy has been holding back his true strength and I would like to see what he is capable of." The Uchiha Patriarch retorts.

"Hi! Uncle Fugaku and Auntie Mikoto! Oh and Daisuke!" Shisui says brightly as he appears out of nowhere.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow. That was one of the most unsettling things about children under the age of ten. They tended to be rather sneaky. How the four year old had gotten here without any of them noticing was beyond him.

"Hello, Shisui." He greets his fellow Uchiha.

"Did you need something, Shisui?" Mikoto asks kindly, trying not to giggle at how truly annoyed her husband looked at the moment.

"Granny Aiya and Grandpa Kenji said they still have lots of lamb left over from last night. They wants to have a family dinner." The young child says.

Sasuke had to admit, he was a bit impressed. That was a mouthful for most four year olds. Well at least he thought it was. He really wasn't sure what was considered normal for a child that age.

"Of course. We'll be right there. I can't wait to show Aiya my new boots." Mikoto says with a smile.

"I can't believe that you actually made boots out of a giant snake's corpse. You're wearing Manda as a fashion statement." Fugaku observes.

"Well they are quite pretty and I believe it will drive the message further through Orochimaru's thick skull. He can keep his hands off my baby." She explains and with that, the young woman crosses her arms in a huff.

"You don't have a baby though?" Shisui observes in a confused voice.

"I meant my baby cousin." Mikoto says quickly.

Luckily, Shisui seems to accept that at face value. With that kunai dodged, the family makes their way to Kenji's and Aiya's home. Mikoto smiles as soon as they enter.

The scent of lamb still hung heavily in the air. Obviously, Aiya had warmed it up. The woman was certainly a damn fine cook.

"Thank you for bringing them, Shisui. Have you seen Obito today?" Kenji inquires.

"Obito went to play with Rin and Kakashi!" The youngest Uchiha in the room informs them.

"Oh well that's very nice. There's nothing like puppy love." Kenj observes with a sly smile as he glances at Aiya.

The elder Uchiha woman shakes her head in amusement. Her husband had all the subtlety of a bull in a China Shop. Oh well. She loved him anyway.

"Mikoto what are you wearing?" She asks in surprise upon seeing the snake skinned boots on her feet.

"She's wearing Manda. Orochimaru had his Summon have a go at me. Mikoto intervened. I don't think he's going to be bothering me again, any time soon." Sasuke observes.

"You defeated a Sannin?!" Kenji asks in disbelief.

"Yes, I did. I was fortunate. He didn't see me coming at first. Orochimaru was distracted by Daisuke. We've already spoken with the Third Hokage about it. He's willing to overlook the incident because Orochimaru did attack unprovoked." The dark beauty explains as she leans back against her husband.

Fugaku smiles and wraps his arms around her. She ewas such a tigress when it came to protecting their son. Apparently, that was a good thing consider what Daisuke had told him.

The Uchiha all sit down for dinner. Sasuke wanted to be able to enjoy the moment, but he couldn't. Orochimaru was easily dealt with for now, but Danzo was clearly scheming.

"Are you not hungry?" Mikoto asks Sasuke in concern.

He hated that man. His only regret about their fight was the fact that he didn't kill the gravedigger sooner. Though he knew gravedigger might not be technically accurate, that's essentially what the other man had done.

Ten Sharingans! Ten! That meant at a minimum he had found the bodies of five Uchihas and used their eyes to increase his own power! Possibly more than five. The man was twisted.

"No. No. I'm fine." Sasuke lies as he quickly goes back to eating.

In some ways, Danzo was even worse. He wasn't half insane. The man knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted power at any cost. At least Orochimaru in his own strange way, thought he was pursuing some higher goal. Danzo couldn't be reasoned with.

Later that night, Sasuke was fast asleep when he hears a knock on his door. The Uchiha swiftly rises to his feet and goes to answer it. Who could be visiting him at this hour?

"Father?" Sasuke asks in surprise.

"Yes. I needed to talk to you alone. I didn't want to alarm your mother." He states briskly, before entering the apartment.

"Is something wrong? Is it Itachi?" The younger Uchiha asks anxiously.

Fugaku shakes his head. No. As far as he knew, Mikoto's first pregnancy was going normally. Well it was rather early in her pregnancy, but he digressed.

"No. Itachi is fine, but we can't be sure that your being here hasn't altered the timeline somehow. It's just as possible you could be expecting your sister. You could be born first or we could have another son before the two of you." The Uchiha Patriarch reminds him.

"That's true. Well they're lucky to have both of you as their parents." The raven haired man says.

This draws a sigh from the Chief of the Leaf's Military Police Force. That was kind of Daisuke to say that, but they both knew it was inaccurate. Obviously, he had failed Daisuke in some way in the future. He just didn't know the precise details yet.

"You're rationalizing again. If Danzo is trying to involve the Hyugas in his schemes, that means we should take them seriously." He states, deciding to get back on topic.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He couldn't recall Danzo ever mentioning the Hyuga Clan in particular. He preferred to train nobodies who would become absolutely loyal to him. Well that was Sasuke's opinion anyway.

The man did love his loyal foot soldiers. Obviously, he would have had to cultivate relationships with more important ninjas as well. If he wanted to hold onto power that was very much a requirement for him to do so.

"I'm not rationalizing, but you're right. Danzo is targeting our family. I know his type. He prefers to have others do his dirty work, but that doesn't absolve him from all the blood on his hands." Sasuke hisses.

Sasuke knew that he was being hypocritical. There was a lot of blood on his own hands, but at least he wasn't a grave robber. He had never tried to hide his intentions behind any façade of respectability.

The young Uchiha supposed that was what bothered him most about Danzo. The man somehow was able to maintain the respect of the village while leading what amounted to a double life. Underneath the Leaf Village, there were many ROOTS.

"That's very true. I have fears that he might target some of the younger members of our Clan. There are few ways that are better to bring a Clan like ours to heel than to kidnap their children." Fugaku continues.

ROOTS that had been trained not to feel any emotion. ROOTS that would do exactly what Danzo told them to do. ROOTS that couldn't reveal any of his secrets because of that damn Seal he placed on their tongue. Danzo and his psychotic followers were their enemy.

"I think that we both understand the threat. I'm just not sure what we should do about it." Sasuke says.

He knew what he'd LIKE to do. He'd like to have Mikoto teach him that Jutsu and make Danzo suffer before he died. The elderly ninja would die screaming, if Sasuke had anything to say about it. Unfortunately, he knew now was not the time to indulge in his sadistic impulses.

Reigning in his desire for revenge was difficult. Sasuke wasn't completely incapable of introspection. He knew that he was an emotional person. While he was technically a genius, his impulsiveness had caused him to do many stupid things. He couldn't afford to let his feelings cloud his judgment in this era though.

"While I normally wouldn't resort to such drastic measures, your mother is pregnant. I'm not going to allow Danzo to scheme against our Clan while she's with child. The only solution is his own assassination." Fugaku says.

Sasuke blinks. Whatever he had been expecting his father to say, that hadn't been it. In hindsight, Fugaku had been the leader of a Coup against the Leaf Village. Maybe he should have expected this.

"That's not going to be easy. He has many allies in this village. He's well respected. If he goes missing, someone is going to notice and we would need to find a way to make it impossible for them to trace it back to us." The other Uchiha reasons.

"Yes. I never said that it was going to be easy, but it has to be done. For the sake of our family and likely for the sake of the village as a whole. This man's ambitions know no bounds. I highly doubt we are going to be the only ones to suffer at his hands." The Uchiha Patriarch points out.

Sasuke certainly couldn't argue with the accuracy of that statement. Danzo was going to cause a lot of people to suffer in the future. The world would certainly be better off without him.

"Meow!" A cat calls out to them as she saunters.

"Damn it. Tsuki, how much did you hear?" Fugaku demands.

"Enough to know that you better get me lots of catnip, tuna, and milk. That's the only way I'm not going to tell Mikoto about this. I can't believe the two of you are this crazy! She's going to have her first litter and you're planning on assassinating Danzo!" The feline exclaims as if they were absolutely crazy.

Fugaku groans. He couldn't believe this. He was being blackmailed by a cat. Well Tsuki WAS a Ninja Cat. So perhaps that made it a bit less humiliating.

"We don't have any choice, Tsuki. You know that we can't allow Danzo to run around and threaten our family, especially not when Mikoto is pregnant." Sasuke says, trying to reason with the furry ninja.

"Oh. I know that. I know why you two are going to attempt this crazy plan. That doesn't mean that I'm going to keep my mouth shut for nothing. I might as well get something out fo this. So I want my catnip, my tuna, and my milk." She insists.

"Fine. Fine. We'll get you what you require. You had best keep your end of the deal though." The Uchiha Patriarch says sternly.

Tsuki shrugs. She was a cat. She wasn't easily scared. If Mikoto's Mate wanted to puff up and pretend to be scary, that was fine with her.

"Very well. I shall leave the two of you to your plotting. You had better take care of Mikoto though!" She informs Fugaku, before darting off.

"Did that really just happen? Sasuke asks his father in disbelief.

"Yes, I believe that really just happened. We just got blackmailed by a cat." The older Uchiha observes with a heavy sigh.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He had seen a lot of strange things in his day, but that might have been the strangest. Sasuke never would have imagined that anyone could blackmail his father, much less a feline.

"That's what I thought happened. How about we both agree not to tell anyone about this in the interest of preserving our dignity?" The raven haired man inquires.

"I was just about to suggest the same thing really. This shall be our first secret. Our first secret as father and son. Well besides that horrendous Bachelor Party." Fugaku decrees.

Sasuke shivers. Yeah. That Bachelor Party hadn't been a fun night for him. Minato and Sakumo still hadn't stopped teasing him about how much he appreciated some shapely cleavage.

Honestly, were they ninjas or Academy Students? There were times when Sasuke couldn't tell the difference. Hopefully, they would all become more professional as the years passed on. Sasuke doubted that they would though.

"Yes, let's not speak of THAT night again either." Sasuke says.

"Agreed. I think that its in both our best interests, never to speak of that again either." Fugaku states.

"Good. Well I guess we better get started. We have an assassination to plan." Sasuke points out.


	17. Chapter 17

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not really sure who delivered Mikoto's children. I'm just going with Tsunade because she's already a medic and from the Leaf. That's why I consider her to be a logical choice, but this may or may not be cannon.

 **Uchiha Siblings:** Feel free to weigh in on if you think that Mikoto and Fugaku should have a third child. Majority will rule.

Chapter 17

Sasuke sighs in frustration as he waits for his mother to get ready. She was now five months pregnant and Danzo was still alive. Unfortunately, that man appeared to never be alone. That made assassination difficult.

"We'll get him. I am thinking of enlisting Hiashi's help. His Byakugan might prove useful. It can see through walls and things of that nature." Fugaku reasons.

"Do you think you can trust him to keep that a secret though? The guy warned us so that we would owe him later on, but would he really be willing to risk his Clan's safety for us?" Sasuke whispers.

On the plus side, he and his father had grown closer. While Sasuke had to fight very gently, Fugaku seemed to enjoy their training sessions. Mikoto found this amusing. According to her, women usually bond through shopping and men usually bonded by beating each other up. Sasuke supposed to a certain extent, that was largely accurate.

"His warning may not have sprung forth from purely altruistic reasons, but Hiashi is a smart man. If Danzo is willing to go after our family, there's really nothing stopping him from targeting the Hyugas later on down the line." His father replies.

Sasuke nods. He couldn't really disagree with that. He was surprised that Hiashi saw it that way though. The man had always struck him as rather stern and insular. He cared about his Clan's well-being and that was about it.

In this timeline though, that wasn't necessarily the case. As far as Sasuke could tell, it had apparently been the death of his wife that triggered his coldness. Would she live in this new altered timeline? He didn't know.

"That's true. Why do women take so long to get ready, if it isn't for a mission?" Sasuke asks.

"It's a woman thing. There are just some things about women that we are never going to understand. It's best just accept them. Besides, your mother is five months pregnant. That's probably why she's taking her time." Fugaku reasons.

Sasuke nods in understanding. Speaking of women, he wasn't sure what Emiko died from. He didn't think that it was childbirth, but the Hyuga Matriarch had died when Hinata was fairly young. Sasuke would add her to the list of people to save, if only he knew what she needed saved from.

"That's true." He says as he waits.

Today was a big day. They were going to find out the gender of the baby. If it was a boy, there was a good chance that she was carrying Itachi. That or maybe, that was him developing in her womb. There was also a third possibility. A second brother.

If it wasn't a boy, that meant Mikoto was going to have a daughter in this timeline. Sasuke wasn't sure what he would do, if it was a girl. That would mean that the baby definitely wasn't Itachi or Itachi was now a girl. Both thoughts were a bit unsettling to put it mildly.

"I'm ready!" Mikoto says with a smile as she descends the stairs.

He wouldn't necessarily mind a sister, but he just couldn't picture Itachi as a woman. That and if Mikoto was pregnant with a girl, did that mean he or Itachi wouldn't exist? To say the least, Sasuke's heart was pounding.

The young Uchiha had no idea which way this was going to go. Unfortunately, the ultrasound was only one big piece of the puzzle. He wouldn't know for sure until Mikoto gave birth.

"Wonderful. How are you feeling, My Love?" Fugaku asks as he kisses her cheek.

"Better. The Morning Sickness seems to have passed now." She says as she leans into him for a moment and smiles at Sasuke, before heading out the door.

Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. She might have taken awhile to get ready, but apparently she was now ready to go. He chuckles and gestures for Daisuke to follow them and with that, the Uchihas all head off towards the hospital.

"Good morning, Mikoto. Good morning, Fugaku. Oh and hello, Daisuke." Tsunade greets them.

Tsunade was currently in charge of the medic training program, but she was still very much a practicing medic. The woman was also Mikoto's doctor.

"Hello." Sasuke replies.

He honestly wasn't really sure what Tsunade thought about him. He was the reason why her teammate had been in a coma for a few days. Granted, it wasn't his fault that Orochimaru had attacked him. That might not mean much to her though.

The fact that she had stood up for them in Sarutobi's Office did provide him with some comfort. She might have a fiery temper, but Tsunade wasn't unreasonable. That was why he trusted her with his mother's pregnancy.

"Is there anything that you're concerned about?" Tsunade asks the happy couple.

"No. I think everything is proceeding normally, but it's always good to hear a medic confirm that." Mikoto says with a bright smile.

Despite his anxieties, Sasuke found himself smiling too. His mother clearly was quite happy about her pregnancy. He had heard of rolling with the punches, but Mikoto Uchiha was in a league of her own in that category.

The woman knew that her son from the future was living in the Uchiha District. The Uchiha Matriarch didn't press him for information about the future though. She obviously knew that something bad would happen in the future, but that didn't seem to damper her joy at her pregnancy in the slightest. It was nothing short of amazing, really.

"Of course. Did you two want to know the gender of your baby or wait and be surprised?" Tsunade inquires.

"We've discussed this at length and have decided that we want to know." Fugaku says.

Sasuke couldn't help but wonder how Fugaku could be so calm in this situation. He was fully aware of the potential implications of Mikoto's pregnancy. The man knew that there was a very good chance that "Daisuke's" meddling had drastically altered the timeline.

"Yes, he's right. We want to know." Mikoto agrees.

"Alright. This is going to be rather cold at first." Tsunade warns her.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm a ninja. I think that I can handle some cold gel on my stomach." The raven haired beauty informs her in amusement.

Tsunade shakes her head and smirks. They all said that and they were all wrong. That gel was extremely cold. Well so she was told anyway. Tsunade had never actually been pregnant herself, but the reaction of the expecting mothers was always priceless.

"Very well. Don't say that I didn't warn you though." The busty blonde says as she applies the gel.

Mikoto shrieks and Tsunade laughs. Well she did warn her. She had no idea why women didn't believe her when she told them that the gel was cold.

"What happened to being a ninja who could handle a little cold, My Love?" Fugaku inquires slyly.

Mikoto grumbles and swats at her husband for that remark. Hmpf! That was before she knew that went Tsunade said cold, she meant GLACIAL COLD!

"Fugaku Uchiha, I want you to know that I will punish you later. The more you continue to taunt me, the worse your punishment will be!" The Uchiha Matriarch warns him.

Sasuke blinks as he saw his father gulp. The young ninja wasn't exactly sure what constituted a punishment in his mother's mind, but the threat was apparently a very effective one. He had never seen Fugaku get that nervous before.

"Well let's see what you are having." Tsunade says as she glances at the screen.

Sasuke could see the outline of the baby. He couldn't tell the gender though. The child in question seemed a bit bashful about revealing their gender.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who held this opinion. Tsunade seemed to be having a hard time making that determination as well. The child was certainly squirming around a lot.

"You have a very active fetus." Tsunade says with a sigh.

"Of course. They're an Uchiha." Mikoto says smugly and Fugaku nods in approval.

"Right. Well let's see here! Ah ha! Finally, it's a boy! Congratulations!" Tsunade says with a smile.

Sasuke sighs in relief. Well at least now he knew that there was a chance he hadn't altered THAT part of the timeline too drastically. The only question that remained was exactly WHO was currently growing inside his mother's womb. Him, Itachi, or someone else?

Meanwhile in the present, Gaara arrives in the Leaf Village. He needed to speak with Naruto and quickly. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that something significant was happening. He kept having flashes of memories that he knew he had never experienced.

"Hey, Gaara! Man, it's good to see you!" The blonde exclaims as he races over to the red head and embraces his friend.

Gaara returns the hug rather gingerly. He still wasn't used to the concept of voluntarily touching people in a way that wasn't designed to inflict pain. Naruto was Naruto though. He could always make an exception for his first and best friend.

"It's good to see you as well, but I'm afraid this isn't merely a social visit. I think that something is wrong." The Kazekage says.

Naruto blinks. Was it possible that Sasuke's timeline meddling had somehow impacted Gaara? Maybe, the bastard had saved his parents and he didn't get Kurama. Without Kurama, that meant that he couldn't give Gaara what he called _**The Speech.**_

No Speech meant that Gaara might still be well crazy and homicidal. That wasn't good. Damn it! He was going to need to come up with another Speech! So not cool!

"Why? What's wrong?" Naruto asks warily, though he suspected he had a pretty good idea what was unsettling his friend so much.

"I think that it would be best, if we discussed this matter in private." The other man replies.

Oh yeah. This definitely wasn't good. Gaara wanted to talk about whatever was bugging him in private. This was most likely Sasuke's fault.

"Alright. Why don't we go to Kakashi's Office? I imagine that he's still dealing with Hiashi. The man hasn't stopped hounding him about his wife. Not that I blame the guy. That has to be pretty traumatic." The blonde says in a rush.

Gaara raises an eyebrow. He was vaguely aware of who Hiashi was. He was the Head of the Hyuga Clan. Why he was arguing with the Hokage about his wife was a mystery though.

"It seems that I am not the only person who has been experiencing unusual occurrences." The red head observes.

"Yeah. You could definitely say that. Come on. Let's go talk to Kakashi." Naruto say with a reassuring smile as he Flickers them to the silver haired ninja's office.

Gaara nods and once they arrive, he blinks at the bizarre sight that greeted them. Hiashi Hyuga was currently yelling at Kakashi. The Hokage was also just allowing it to happen.

"Hey, Kakashi Sensei. It looks like Gaara is getting hit too." The blonde says.

"Now the Kazekage is experiencing the aftershocks of Sasuke's reckless decision?!" Hiashi demands.

Gaara raises an eyebrow. Yes. He was most certainly missing something. He wasn't sure what all this had to do with Sasuke, but he was going to find out.

"Sasuke's reckless decision?" He inquires.

"It seems that Sasuke was able to fully decipher the Uchiha Stone Tablets. One of the things in those tablets was a Time Traveling Jutsu. The only way to use it, is if you have a Rinnegan. There is also a tremendous cost in terms of chakra and blood. Quite honestly, it's a miracle that he didn't die making the attempt." Kakashi explains.

Gaara blinks. The Uchiha had found a way to travel back in time? He had always known that Sasuke was highly intelligent and impulsive, but this was ridiculous.

"The Uchiha went back in time and now everyone has to face whatever changes that his journey has caused?!" The red head demands in outrage.

"Yeah. That about sums it up." Naruto says.

"What is wrong with you people?! How can you be so calm about this?! We have no way of knowing what sorts of changes he is making! We don't even know what he's intentionally doing and what he's unintentionally doing!" The Kazekage shouts in righteous fury.

Hiashi nods. Finally! Someone else understood how absurd this situation was. Their fates were all now in Sasuke's hands and that wasn't a feeling that he liked.

There was a chance that he could get his wife back, but would it really be her? Sasuke was now disturbing the dead. He doubted that the man had done that on purpose though.

Sasuke didn't know his wife or he only knew of her in passing. There was no reason why the last Uchiha would meddle in her destiny to this degree. That meant that somehow she was "back" or at least potentially coming back because of some fluke.

"So you're telling me that Sasuke has gone back in time and can change everything, but all we can do is sit here and wait?!" Gaara demands, once more.

"Unfortunately, that is exactly what I'm telling you." Kakashi says with a sigh.

Gaara is suddenly overcome with a feeling of dread. Sasuke was intelligent, but there was no way that anyone could foresee what the tiniest changes in the timeline could do to the future.

Of course, that was assuming that Sasuke would even care in the first place. That was far from a sure thing. That man wanted his family back. Apparently, he wanted them badly enough to change the course of history itself and everyone else was likely expendable in his view.

"That's most…disturbing." He says with a defeated sigh.

Back in the past, the Uchiha Clan was celebrating. Fugaku and Mikoto were both rather proud to announce that they were expecting a son. (Though Sasuke was sure that they would have been equally as proud to announce that at daughter was on the way as well.)

"Here! Have some of this! It's good stuff!" Kenji says as he offers his grandson some rather expensive wine.

Of course, Kenji didn't know that Daisuke was really Sasuke. He especially didn't know that Sasuke was his grandson from the future. Sasuke planned to keep it that way.

"Oi! Don't give the boy that. That will knock him on his ass!" Aiya scolds her husband.

"Boy? He's a Jonin! The man can have a drink, if wants to!" Kenji protests and Sasuke snorts in amusement.

He wondered if he would ever have what those two had. Would he ever have what his parents had? Sasuke doubted it, but it was nice to indulge in a little fantasy now and then.

"I've been working on my fireballs!" Obito announces proudly.

"That's good." Sasuke says as he nods his head encouragingly.

"Yeah! I'll show you!" The younger Uchiha says proudly as he proceeds to do exactly that.

If things worked out, Sasuke wouldn't need to restore his Clan. They would already be there. Keeping the bloodline going would no longer be his sole responsibility.

For all he knew, Obito might live long enough to have children of his own. That would be nice. The guy had been dealt a bad hand. Well then again, so had most of the Leaf Ninjas when he really thought about it.

"That's much better." Sasuke praises him and he smiles when he sees his father kiss Mikoto's cheek and wrap his arm around her proudly.

Yes. That was much better. The only question on Sasuke's mind was would things stay this way? One wrong move could end in disaster.

"BAD MAN! BAD MAN!" Shisui screams, interrupting the party as he races over and hides behind Sasuke's legs.

That instantly got every Uchiha on high alert. Sasuke's eyes narrow when he sees some shadows flitting off in the opposite direction. Likely Danzo's men.

"EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" Fugaku roars at the crowd.

Instantly, all the Uchihas settle. They all knew better than to question Fugaku's orders when he was using that tone of voice. To do so, would be the height of stupidity and everyone knew it.

"Tsuki, go after the figures. If we chase after them, they'll try to slip off. They might not notice a cat though." The Uchiha Patriarch says.

"Got it!" The feline states as she swiftly darts off.

"Do you really think that the cat can outrun them?" Kenji inquires and Fugaku nods.

Tsuki might be an evil blackmailer, but she was fast. Very fast. That and cats were naturally more at home in the forest than any human. She had that advantage.

"I believe so. Everyone, go inside. Take the proper precautions to protect your home. Do not go anywhere without another family member by you. If someone was planning on attacking our District, they made a great mistake on this night." He thunders at them.

Everyone quickly heads into their homes. Sasuke goes with Mikoto and Fugaku. No one questioned this. It was obvious that two men could help protect a pregnant woman better than one.

"Who would dare to try to attack us on our lands?" Mikoto asks with a frown as she sits on the couch and her husband sits next to her.

"Danzo. My best guess is Danzo. Not himself of course. He never gets his hands dirty directly, if he can help it. He probably sent some of his minions after us." Sasuke mutters.

It didn't make any sense. Fugaku hadn't been offered a position as Hokage yet. Why would Danzo strike now? It was so early.

One thing was clear though. The scale of the timeline had been moved up. That or Sasuke just hadn't been aware that the elderly ninja had made attempts to attack his family before he was even born. He wasn't sure which was worse.

"That seems a rather reckless move on his part. Sending his men into our lands. Wouldn't it have been better to ambush us individually?" Mikoto reasons.

"He probably figured our guard would be lower at the celebration. The man likely ordered his followers to snatch a child or two. Once he had them, he could easily try to control us." Fugaku mutters in disgust.

Mikoto's eyes narrow in fury. If there was one thing that she would not tolerate, it was someone attacking children. Children from Noble Clans were always at risk for kidnappings. People would try to get a ransom from the Clans, turn them into their loyal soldiers, or steal their bloodline.

Having your child be kidnapped was every parent's worst nightmare, but it was especially horrifying for Clan Parents. She wasn't going to sit back and allow this to happen. They had to do something.

"Those bastards." She hisses under her breath.

"Yes, mother. They are, but you're pregnant. You can't get involved in this fight." Sasuke says.

Mikoto raises an eyebrow. She knew that he was only being logical, but her first instinct was to rebut that. She was pregnant, but Mikoto Uchiha was not crippled.

"I think that I turned Manda into a mighty fine pair of boots while I was pregnant. You really shouldn't underestimate pregnant women, my son." She retorts smugly.

Fugaku chuckles. He smiles and kisses her forehead. That was his Mikoto. His little Hellcat.

"Daisuke is right in this matter. We will handle it. I don't want you to worry about anything. The Uchiha Clan is numerous and we're strong. We're also smarter than Danzo. We'll find a way to manage. Don't worry." He tells her.

Mikoto sighs as she looks up at her husband. She knew that he meant that. Fugaku meant well, but it was still incredibly frustrating. He couldn't possibly expect her to just sit there and hope for the best, could he?

"Yes, My Love." She says as she kisses him.

Like Hell was she just going to sit around and do nothing. Fugaku didn't need to know that though. She didn't want her husband to worry.

She was the Matriarch of the Uchiha Clan. She wasn't just going to stand idly by while Danzo plotted kidnappings or worse. Hell would freeze over before that happened.

"Good. Come. Let's get you to bed. You should be resting. All this stress is not good for you or the baby." He reasons as he helps her up.

"I'll keep watch." Sasuke says and Fugaku nods his head approvingly at that offer.

"Thank you." The elder Uchiha states simply as he leads his wife off.

He felt guilty. Fugaku knew that Mikoto just wanted to help protect their Clan. Unfortunately, he couldn't allow it. He couldn't allow her to put herself in harm's way in her condition.

"You know that I love you and I'm just concerned for our family, right?" He whispers, once they were alone in their room.

"I know. I love you too. Don't worry. I'm fine. The baby is fine." Mikoto whispers as she lays down in the bed and Fugaku lays next to her.

"Good. I don't know what I would do, if something happened to you." He says.

Mikoto smiles. He was a good man, but Fugaku was also a stubborn man. Sometimes he was too stubborn for his own good. That was okay though. He had her to take care of him.

"I feel the same way. Goodnight, My Love." She whispers as she turns out the lights and feigns sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well it was a landslide. Fugaku and Mikoto will only have Itachi and Sasuke. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This is set four months after the last one. Since most people wanted only two Uchiha Siblings, I found another way to eventually resolve Gaara's demonic issues. It will be mentioned only in passing from here on out, unless people seem interested in it.

Chapter 18

Four months. It had been four months since someone had tried to kidnap Uchiha children. Well at least that was what the Uchihas assumed had almost happened.

During that time, Fugaku's and Sasuke's plots to assassinate Danzo hadn't borne any fruit. Though they had enlisted the help of Hiashi Hyuga. Despite their best efforts, Mikoto and Emiko were now very much aware of what "the boys" were planning.

"I didn't tell them! I swear it!" Tsuki exclaims.

Fugaku sighs and pets the feline's head. He knew that the Ninja Cat hadn't told Mikoto. The cat valued her catnip, milk, and fish too much to do that. That and Ninja Cats were famous for being able to keep secrets. They weren't like Ninja Dogs in that respect.

"It's alright. I don't blame you. I should have known better. A man can't keep a secret from his wife." Fugaku says with a sigh.

"And he most certainly shouldn't try. I can't believe that you told me there should be no secrets between a husband and his wife when you proposed and then tried to keep this from me." Mikoto says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

Sasuke watches in amusement. They were currently in the Clan Heads' home and he was sitting on the couch. Mikoto was standing in the doorway and Tsuki was sitting upon a coffee table. His father at the moment was rather cornered because Mikoto was blocking the only exit.

"My Love, you're pregnant. I didn't want you to worry. That's all." Fugaku says.

"You want to assassinate one of the most politically powerful men in this village and you didn't want me to worry?" The dark beauty inquires incredulously.

Sasuke winces. Well when his mother put it that way, she had a point. Still he really didn't want to get her involved with this. Danzo was ruthless and his mother was nine months pregnant.

"Well yes. You should be sitting down or in bed, Kitten. You could go into labor at any time." The Uchiha Patriarch warns her.

"Don't you Kitten me! I can't believe you tried to do this behind my back and you drug Daisuke into it!" She exclaims.

"The boy was quite willing to assist me in this matter because he loves you as much as I do. Neither of us want that snake crawling around, while you are pregnant or the two of us are caring for a small child." Her husband reorts.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Did all parents do this? Did they talk about their child as if they weren't sitting in the same room? They did realize that he could hear them, right?

"Mother, he's right. I went along with the plan of my own free will. I just don't want anything to happen to you, father, or the rest of our family. You need to take it easy. You're not in any condition to make another pair of snake skinned boots." Sasuke tells her.

Mikoto sighs. She loved them both. The Uchiha Matriarch loved her boys dearly. More than anything really, but that didn't mean that she wasn't fighting the impulse to shake them at the moment.

What they had tried to do had been sweet, but it had also been extremely reckless. Mikoto sighs and crosses her arms more over her very pregnant belly. She felt her baby kick and chuckles. It seemed that her eldest agreed with her.

"The two of you had best cease these attempts to scheme together behind my back on important matters. I know that you did it for the right reasons. If trouble comes though, I have a right to know why. So does Emiko.'" Mikoto points out.

" Yes, you're right." Fugaku says with a sigh as he kisses her cheek.

He had only been trying to protect the woman, but she was an Uchiha. That meant that she was naturally stubborn. The woman couldn't help it to a certain extent. It was quite literally in her genes.

"Things will be so much easier for all of us, once you realize that from the beginning. I'm always right. Unless it comes to household repairs. That's your job. I am positively awful with such things." She admits.

"You may not be the best at household repairs, but you are very good with your hands in other ways. Far more important ways, My Love." Fugaku says slyly.

"I really did not need to hear that. I'm happy that you two are happy and that I'm most likely going to be born, but I really didn't need to hear that. I think that I'll go check on Obito." Sasuke says.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow. He wasn't sure why Daisuke was constantly checking on Obito and to a lesser extent Shisui. He could only assume that it was for a good reason. Clearly, something had happened to them in the future. Something bad.

"Alright. Stay safe. I don't like the fact that Danzo and his followers are likely still lurking around. I've informed everyone that they have to have someone else with them at all times, but you know how children are." The Uchiha Patriarch says with a sigh.

"Damn it!" Mikoto grumbles as she gives her husband a dirty look.

"What's wrong?" He asks as he rushes to his wife's side in concern.

Mikoto sighs. She knew Fugaku. He was likely going to panic. She needed to keep a level head about this. He obviously wasn't going to.

"Contractions started. I need to get to the hospital." The woman explains and all thoughts of checking on Obito, immediately left Sasuke's mind!

His mother was going into labor! She was going to have a baby! He'd check on Obito later! For now, they had to get to the hospital as quickly as possible!

Back in the present, things were getting more and more tense. Unfortunately, Kakashi didn't think that he could hide things from everyone for much longer. Too many people had seen things or someone.

People or sights that hadn't been seen for years. Hiashi, Hinata, and Naruto were far from the only ones who had firsthand experience with the timeline changes. There was just no getting around it now.

"So what did you see?" Hiashi asks Gaara.

His own daughter wouldn't tell him what she had seen, but Hiashi knew that Hinata had seen something. At the very least, the Kazekage might be willing to open up to him. The man was essentially a stranger. Sometimes it was easier to open up to strangers.

"It wasn't what I saw, but what I felt. It was brief at first. I thought that it was merely a dream. I know that it wasn't now though. I have memories that I never lived. I know that I never lived them, but yet the proof too obvious to be denied." The red head whispers.

"I know the feeling. It's unsettling. I saw my wife, but she's been dead for years." Hiashi offers.

Gaara pauses. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone what he saw. Well more specifically, who he had saw.

The Kazekage figured his caution was justified though. He had seen an Uchiha woman. She looked different enough from Sasuke and Itachi that he assumed she was a more distant relative. Not a sister. Perhaps a cousin or something of that nature.

"I saw an Uchiha woman." He informs him.

"How do you know that she was an Uchiha?" The lavender eyed man inquires curiously.

"She had the Sharingan." Gaara replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hiashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Well that would do it. The Sharingan was one surefire way to identify an Uchiha.

"Fair enough. Perhaps you saw Mikoto." He offers, hoping that would spook the Kazekage less than believing he saw some random Uchiha woman.

"Who is Mikoto?" The red head replies in confusion.

Oh right. The Kazekage wouldn't know who Mikoto was. That was only natural. Oh well. That was easily remedied.

"Mikoto Uchiha was Sasuke's mother." Hiashi explains.

"Oh no. I doubt it was her. This woman was too young. At least I think she is too young. I'm not really sure how concepts such as age work when time travel is involved." He says.

That was a fair point. Hiashi didn't understand either. Sadly, everyone had been forced to roll with the punches. No one really knew what was going to happen next.

"Most likely not Mikoto then. What happened?" The Hyuga patriarch inquires.

"Instead of fighting Sasuke at the Chunin Exams, I fought her. It felt so real. I guess it was actually real. I still have a scar. She's fortunate to be alive. I didn't have control of the demon at that time." The other man confesses.

Hiashi blinks and nods in understanding. Well that explained why the Kazekage was keeping his cards close to his vest. The man felt guilty.

"Did you catch her name?" He asks softly.

"No. I imagine I will soon though. I feel as though Sasuke's timeline is getting very close to colliding with ours." The Kage states bluntly.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. From the flashes that he had seen here and there, he still had demon in the new timeline. That wasn't exactly something that Gaara relished, but he knew that he shouldn't be selfish.

Many people were so close to getting their loved ones back. In exchange for that, he could handle having the demon back. He had managed to control himself once before. Gaara could do it again, if he had to.

Meanwhile back in the past, Mikoto was now at the hospital. She shakes her head at Fugaku's panicked expression as Tsunade helps her get set up in the delivery room. Honestly, you would think that he was the one who was about to go into labor instead of the other way around.

"Do you need anything, Kitten?" He asks.

"Fugaku, I'm fine. I have Tsunade here. She'll take very good care of me. Don't worry so much. I'm hardly the first woman to go through childbirth." She tells him with a sassy wink.

"Well she's certainly in bright spirits." Minato observes as he enters the room.

Mikoto smiles and tilts head in confusion. What was Minato doing here? Oh and it looked like Kushina was following him inside the room. Actually, what were both of them doing here?

"Minato, it's always a pleasure to see you. I confess myself confused. What are the two of you doing here? How did you know that I was going into labor?" The dark beauty asks.

"We didn't. We had to go in for our annual physicals and saw you heading into this room. You're nine months pregnant and in a hospital. I didn't really take a genius to figure out what was going on." Kushina observes with a giggle.

The Uchiha Matriarch could only nod her head in agreement. Well that was most certainly true. A nine month pregnant woman in a hospital generally could only mean one thing. The baby was coming.

"Isn't it getting a little crowded in here?" Sasuke asks.

"You're right. Everyone besides Mikoto and Fugaku out. This is a private moment and it's really not a good idea to have this many people inside, when I'm in the middle of trying to deliver a baby." The busty medic insists.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't expected to be kicked out. He was their son! Well it wasn't like Tsunade knew that, but still!

"It'll be alright, Daisuke. I'll be fine." Mikoto assures him with a smile.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of your cousin and Tsunade is the best in her field." Fugaku promises Sasuke.

"Well I don't know about THE best in my field, but I do know what I'm doing." Tsunade confirms with a grin.

Sasuke sighs and nods. He couldn't exactly tell Tsunade the real reason why he wanted to stay. For now, discretion was the better part of valor.

"Don't worry. If you like, we can keep you company in the waiting room." Minato offers.

"That'd be great. Thank you." The raven haired Uchiha says, before following the happy couple off.

He couldn't believe it. His mother was alive, pregnant, and about to give birth. Mikoto Uchiha was likely about to bring his brother back into this world.

The reality of the situation was finally dawning on Sasuke. In this time, Itachi had never died. Itachi was going to be an innocent baby. An innocent baby with no blood on his hands. An innocent baby that hadn't been forced to make an impossible choice.

"It's going to stay that way." He mutters.

Sasuke wouldn't let it happen again. He wasn't going to allow the Leaf Village to turn his beloved older brother into a Clan Slayer. No. He was going to find a way to prevent that.

The most obvious way to do so was to assassinate Danzo. That man had caused his family an almost impossibly high amount of misery. While he might not necessarily be evil, Danzo was willing to do horrific things to achieve his goals.

"What's going to stay that way?" Kushina asks in an utterly baffled voice.

That was one ninja who truly believed that the ends justified the means. How ironic would it be, if Sasuke used his own logic against him. He'd kill Danzo to achieve a brighter future.

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking out loud." Sasuke lies.

It was really disturbing how easily he could lie now. Sasuke was a ninja, but lying hadn't been something that he did often in his own timeline. Here he was forced to.

Thanks to that, he had become quite the skilled liar. The young Uchiha couldn't help, but wonder what his parents thought about that development. Were they proud of him for doing anything that was necessary to complete his mission or just as disturbed as he was about the whole affair?

"WAHHH!" What seemed like an eternity later, an infant's cry could be heard from across the hall.

"I have to go! Thanks for keeping me company! Oh I guess you can come as well!" Sasuke says as he darts off towards the room.

Kushina and Minato chuckle and look at each other, before chasing off after the wayward Uchiha. They couldn't blame him though. The birth of a baby was always a very exciting thing.

"Congratulations, it's a boy and he's perfectly healthy." Tsunade says to Mikoto before gently placing the infant in her arms.

"Oh thank God." Sasuke whispers, once he was inside.

"Can we have a look too?"" The red head inquires hopefully.

Mikoto smiles and holds her son in her arms. She already knew his name. Well at least she thought that she did. She would have to check with Daisuke to see if this was Daisuke, his older brother, or someone else. Surely, he would now.

"Of course." She says with a smile as the three of them make their way over.

Sasuke looks down at the infant in Mikoto's arms. Today was Itachi's birthday. While it was hard to reconcile this tiny newborn with the image that he had of his fully grown brother, Sasuke knew the truth. This was Itachi!

"It's him!" Sasuke whispers into the young mother's ears.

"He's perfect, My Love." Fugaku says proudly as he kisses her cheek.

Today had been the scariest day of his life. To say the least, it hadn't been pleasant until five minutes ago. He hated seeing his lover in pain and childbirth was apparently even more excruciating than he had been lead to believe.

Mikoto had threatened to castrate him or take away his intimacy privileges more than once. Those contractions had been completely brutal. When he offered her his hand to squeeze for comfort, his Kitten had nearly broken it. To say the least, it had been a rather intense experience.

"Mhm. He's our little Itachi." She says proudly as she smiles down at her eldest son in an exhausted, but content fashion.

"Oh Mikoto! He's so cute!" Kushina gushes as she rushes over and looks down at him.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. He couldn't believe that someone had just describe Itachi as cute. Ha. He should tease him about that without mercy later on.

"Yes, he is. He does have rather adorable bubble eyes." Minato comments as he glances down at the infant.

Bubble eyes? Oh yeah. Sasuke was never going to let Itachi live that down. That much was for damn sure.

"Have any of you seen my parents?" Fugaku asks warily.

He knew his parents. They never did anything halfway. That was especially true in Kenji's case. The man was likely going to come charging into the room, any second now.

"Hmm no. I don't think that I've seen Kenji or Aiya today." Minato says.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow. He didn't believe it for a moment. His mother had a sixth sense about important things like this. He knew that she would be here. It was just a matter of time really.

Almost as if he summoned them, the ecstatic grandparents quickly charge in. Nothing was going to keep them from seeing their firstborn grandchild. Aiya and Kenji were like a man and woman possessed.

"Oh Fugaku, Mikoto, he's beautiful." Aiya says, positively beaming down at Itachi.

"He's a handsome boy. I guess that means he takes more after Mikoto." Kenji teases his son.

Fugauk rolls his eyes good-naturedly. He hadn't expected anything elss from his father really. The man took very few things, completely seriously. He was mischievous to the bone.

"Very funny." He states as he smiles and kisses Itachi's forehead.

This child definitely wasn't Sasuke. The skin was too dark. He was wondrous though. This was Itachi, Fugaku decides.

Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Danzo sighs. So far he wasn't having much luck bringing down the Uchiha Clan. Ever since that failed attempt, the Uchihas had been traveling in groups. They clearly knew what he was planning or at least suspected it.

"What are your orders, Lord Danzo?" One of the members of ROOT inquires.

"Continue your efforts. Try to grab a child or an adult Uchiha, if you must. These people are a danger to our village." The elderly ninja says.

Unbeknownst to Danzo, he was being watched. He was being watched by a Ninja Cat. Tsuki knew that the last things the medics really wanted was a cat in the delivery room. With that in mind, she had slipped off during the chaos.

At the moment, the feline was watching Danzo and his minions like a hawk. It was as they had suspected. That viper was trying to capture at least one Uchiha. He wanted to take out their Clan and that was a surefire way to do it.

"If a kitten gets kidnapped, the parents will defend them." She mutters.

It was an evil move, but a smart one. There were few things that would incense a Clan more than having a child kidnapped. Danzo wanted nothing short of a war. She was sure of it.

"Yes, Lord Danzo. I'll inform the others of your instructions." The ROOT Member assures him, before flitting off.

Tsuki saw Danzo sigh as he sips his sake. Oh how she would like to tear him to shreds with her bare claws. This cretin had attacked her family. That was just unforgivable.

Unfortunately, she knew that she couldn't not now at least. She would have to bid her time. She knew one thing though. She was definitely going to tell the other Uchihas about this.

A short while later, Sasuke smiles as he watches his mother sleep. He couldn't blame the woman, childbirth sounded like an exhausting progress. His father was currently sitting by her bedside with Itach in his arms.

"Were the two of you close?" He inquires as he rocks the cooing infant.

It was a strange sight. Gentle was the last thing that he associated with his father, but here he was. He was rocking a baby to sleep.

"It's a long story. That and I don't know if it's really a good idea for me to tell you that." Sasuke replies honestly.

How could he possibly summarize his relationship with his brother? Itachi was his everything. He had been his loving brother. His hero. His demon and his guilt. There were very few roles that Itachi didn't fulfill for Sasuke at one time or another.

"Are you at least going to tell us your real name?" Fugaku asks.

Sasuke shakes his head and smiles. As much as he wanted to, he knew that wasn't' a good idea. Really, he shouldn't have even told them Itachi's name. That had just slipped though.

His name was different. Sasuke was having a hard enough time keeping up with all these different threads. There were so many people that he was trying to save. The best way to do that was by keeping as much to himself as he possibly could.

"I'm sorry. I can't." He whispers.

"It's alright. We understand. You do understand that we have to try though, right?" The Uchiha Patriarch asks with a sly smile.

"Yeah. I understand. The Hyugas are going to help us with our problem. Maybe eventually we should to solidify our new alliance more." Sasuke suggests.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow. He wasn't entirely certain where Daisuke was going with this, but he had a pretty good guess. The fastest way to forge a permanent alliance with another Clan was through a marriage.

"I'm listening. Go on." Fugaku encourages him.

"If Hiashi has a daughter, maybe she'd be a good match for Itachi. Only if it's a love match though." Sasuke says.

He wasn't going to force his brother to marry a woman he had no interest in. Besides, he sorta knew Hinata. She was shy and kind. Itachi might like her. Granted, Hinata was a bit younger than Itachi. Despite that, Sasuke didn't really think that his brother would protest over a mild age difference.

"It's a possibility, but only if it's a love match. Your mother would kill me, if I suggested otherwise and I think that we both know that." Fugaku says with a chuckle.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He had no way of knowing it at the time, but he had just sealed his own fate. The seeds of the arranged marriage between an Uchiha and Hyuga had just been planted.

The only thing that he didn't see coming is that it wouldn't be Itachi who married Hinata. One day it would be him. Meddling with time could produce rather unexpected results, after all.

"That's true. She would. Mother is very protective." Sasuke observes.

"Oh yes, yes she is. The woman has the snaked skinned boots to prove it too." Fugaku reminds him with a laugh.


	19. Chapter 19

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

Chapter 19

"Things will work out better this time. I promise." Sasuke whispers to Itachi two weeks later.

It was as though he really expected much of an answer. Itachi couldn't talk yet. Truly, it was the most surreal experience that Sasuke had ever had in his life to see Itachi as a baby.

He was so small and completely helpless. There were no hints of the tortured man that he would become one day. The genius who bore the weight of his almost extinct Clan on his shoulders in silence for years.

"Careful, Daisuke. If the women in this Clan see how good you are with that baby, you'll never get a moment's peace until you have one of your own." Kenji says with a chuckle.

This child was so small, sweet, and innocent. He hated what the world had done to his brother. This time, things would be different though.

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Sasuke asks somewhat nervously.

His memories of Uchiha women besides his mother and grandmother were rather scarce to say the least. Thankfully, they tended to be quieter than most Leaf Village women and were in general, excellent ninjas.

Unfortunately, they loved to gossip as much as anyone. Well at least they had the foresight and keep their gossip largely confined to the insides of the Uchiha District, Sasuke thinks to himself. That was their saving grace, really.

"Oh yes. Yes, it can. You might not have noticed it, but you're rather popular here. I think it has something to do with the fact you were gone so many years. So you're still something of a mystery, even if you've been back for awhile. You know women, they love a challenge." Kenji observes with a quiet chuckle.

No. Sasuke really didn't know women. The girls that used to follow him around at the Academy, didn't count. He knew his mother well now, but Mikoto Uchiha was in a league of her own. Likewise for his grandmother, but women in general were well practically another species to him.

"I'll take your word for it. I can't say that I have much experience with them." He replies.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sasuke regretted them. Kenji seemed to fancy himself a matchmaker and that was most certainly something he didn't want. If he wasn't' a time traveler, he might have indulged his grandfather. Sasuke was a time traveler though and thus he couldn't.

"That's odd. You must have been extremely focused on that mission of yours. A handsome young lad like you should be enjoying your bachelor days or have found himself a pretty companion already. You don't prefer men, do you? Not that there is anything wrong with that. Our Clan is large enough that it's not an issue if a few of us don't have children." Kenji says knowledgably.

Sasuke blinks. He couldn't believe his ears. Great. Now his grandfather thought that he was attracted to men. Wonderful.

"No! No! I don't prefer men. It's just I've been busy with my mission and when I returned, I wanted to reintegrate myself with our family. I'll find the right woman eventually, but I'm not even twenty. I have time." The raven haired Uchiha says quickly.

"Oh right. You're just shy then." Kenji says slyly as he smiles down at Itachi and tickles his tummy.

Itachi coos happily in response and Sasuke couldn't help, but smile at the sight. At one point, Itachi had been a very happy child. He rarely cried unless he was hungry or needed changed.

That was a very good thing for the first time parents. The first time parents who were sneaking in a bubble bath while Itachi's grandparents and brother watched him. Uchihas were very efficient in their babysitting duties.

"Um right. I guess you could say that." Sasuke mutters awkwardly.

At that moment, Itachi starts to laugh. Dear God, his big brother was laughing at him. Itachi was probably mocking him and he was still just a baby. Sasuke was confident that from here it would be a relatively short trip to those damn forehead pokes.

"Don't worry. Most men start off that way and many grow out of it. Besides, you have your pretty face to help you over the worst of it." Kenji says with a laugh of his own.

"Oh leave the boy alone. I'm sure that he's quite capable of finding himself a sweetheart, if he wants." Aiya says in amusement as she walks over to her husband and kisses his cheek.

Meanwhile in the present, Hinata pours some tea in Gaara's hotel room. She, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Hiashi, and the Kazekage were all there. It was a bit crowded honestly, but the young Kage's quarters were thankfully spacious enough to squeeze them all in.

"So what has you all spooked, Gaara? Hinata's dad says you saw another Uchiha?" Naruto asks brightly.

"My name is Hiashi." The Hyuga Patriarch insists much to their amusement.

"Right. Right. Hiashi says you saw another Uchiha." The bubbly blonde corrects himself.

Gaara shakes his head at his friend's antics. He was grateful for them though. They provided a pleasant distraction from the million questions that were currently swimming around in his head.

"Yes, another Uchiha. This one was a woman. Instead of fighting Sasuke at the Chunin Exams, I faced off against a different Uchiha." The red head explains.

"Oh cool! That means he prevented the Massacre!" The Jinchuuriki exclaims.

"It means that he possibly prevented another Massacre. We have no way of knowing, if these changes will actually occur. For all we know, these might just be flashes of possibilities." The Kazekage reasons.

Naruto frowns as he considers that. Gaara was right, but he really hoped that Sasuke managed to pull this off somehow. It would really suck to go back in time to save your family and not have it work.

"That's true, I guess. Wow. So Sasuke has a sister! Well that or he might have one." The blue eyed ninja observes excitedly.

"I don't think she was his sister. They didn't resemble each other in the way that close family members sometimes do. I think that she was more like extended family." Gaara says.

"Well the Uchihas were a very large Clan. Their numbers rivaled our own really. Some of our family members are scarcely related. Just enough for us all to have the Byakugan. We do need some genetic diversity or we would all be facing severe medical problems." Hiashi chimes in.

Gaara nods gratefully at the Hyuga Patriarch. He was glad that the other man had explained some basics about genetics to Naruto. He wasn't sure that he would have been able to fully articulate that.

Naruto was his friend. The man had an amazing capacity to reach people and pull them out of darkness, but he wasn't an academic. Naruto certainly wasn't stupid, but the finer points of genetics likely would elude him.

"Exactly. Does anyone else have anything to report?" The Sand Ninja inquires.

He knew that he should probably tell them everything that had happened in his flash, but Gaara just couldn't do it. Instead of Naruto being the one who had given him **The Speech** , this new Uchiha woman had done so.

It had started off verbally. Really, it was a pretty good speech for someone who wasn't a Jinchuuriki to reach him. It hadn't stayed that way though. It had ended with her using her mouth to persuade him by kissing him.

"Nothing new." Hinata says with a blush as she glances nervously at her father.

She had recently told him the truth. Hinata knew that he'd find out sooner or later and it would be better for her to tell the Hyuga Patriarch. It had gone better than expected, but she still felt rather flustered about the whole thing.

 _"Father, there's something that I have to tell you. It's about the changes being made to the timeline." Hinata whispered._

 _It had taken her weeks to work up the courage to tell her father. Hinata thought that she had good reason to be skittish though. Sasuke was not exactly known for his calm demeanor and adherence to tradition._

 _"Speak. I must confess I find myself rather unsettled at how anxious you appear." He stated bluntly._

 _"I know that you saw mother, but I saw her as well. It was after I was given this. In this new era, I'm engaged. It was an arranged match, but we both entered it of our own freewill." She mumbled as she showed him the necklace._

 _Hiashi's eyes widened. There were only a handful of times that Hinata could remember seeing her father look truly shocked. That had been one of them._

 _"That's the Uchiha's Crest. You're telling me that you believe yourself to be engaged to an Uchiha?" He asked in disbelief._

 _"Yes, father. That's what I'm telling you. I don't know, if I still will be when all is said and done though. No one really knows what is going to happen." Hinata told him._

 _She could only hope that her father wouldn't fly into a rage. Their Clan had never had a particularly warm relationship with Sasuke's family. She supposed it was only natural though._

 _They were "Rival Clans." Both families each had a powerful bloodline that was related to their eyes. It was to be expected that they would naturally be competitive with one another._

 _"I was afraid of something like that happening. You have been avoiding me for awhile, especially after you realized that I had seen your mother. I can't say that I'm particularly pleased about this match, but it may work out. We really do not know if the Sasuke that comes back will be the same one that left." The lavender eyed man said with a sigh._

 _That was a good point. Would this still be their Sasuke? If he could truly prevent his family from being killed and had no memories of his other life, this Sasuke might be an entirely different person. Hinata wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing really._

 _Their Sasuke was a creature of rage and loneliness, but that didn't necessarily mean the alternative wouldn't be worse. Sasuke wasn't evil, but he had done a lot of bad things. She knew nothing about what the alternative Sasuke might be like though._

 _"Thank you, for being so reasonable." The bluenette murmured._

 _"It seems I do not have a choice. That and if I condoned or will condone this match at some point, I likely had a good reason. I shall just have to trust my judgment. If he mistreats you though, I will find a way to ensure that he NEVER has an opportunity to do so again." Hiashi warns her._

 _Hinata gulped in response. She could easily imagine her father locking up his chakra points in rather awkward places. He might not win that battle, but he could get in a good shot before he lost. A painful shot._

 _"Yes, father." Hinata replied dutifully._

"Good to know. The last thing that we need is to find out that you are pregnant. You already went and got engaged." He says with a sigh.

"FATHER!" Hinata squeaks as she blushes redder than a tomato.

Back in the past, Fugaku and Mikoto had finished their bath and were coming downstairs. Mikoto smiles and immediately walks over to Daisuke. He was holding Itachi.

"You're such a good cousin." She says with a sly smile as she takes Itachi into her arms.

Sasuke did feel a little guilty about "lying" to Aiya and Kenji. The two of them had no clue that he was actually their grandson and it had to stay that way. The fewer people that knew the truth, the better off they all would be.

"It seems that the Hyuga Clan Heads wish to speak with the two of you as soon as possible. They understand that you just gave birth and thus it may take some time for you to be ready for such things." Kenji says.

The young Uchiha didn't miss the wariness on his grandparents' faces. They clearly knew something was up. Something big.

"That's considerate of them. Unfortunately, I do not believe that we have time to waste on my recovery. I'm well enough." Mikoto replies.

Oh yes. It was bad. Mikoto had just give birth less than a month ago and felt it was necessary to be prepared for battle. That wasn't good.

"It wouldn't be wise to take Itachi with us while we are meeting with the Hyuga. If we are followed and there is a fight that would put him at risk." Fugaku says.

"I'll stay behind and watch him." Sasuke says.

There was no way that he was going to allow anything to happen to Itachi. This time, he was going to protect his brother. At all costs.

"Thank you. Stay safe, Daisuke." Mikoto says as she kisses his cheek and Sasuke nods.

"Good. Kenji and Aiya, do you wish to go with us or to stay behind and ensure that the others don't realize we are gone?" Fugaku asks.

Sasuke watches as his grandparents seem to be having an internal war within themselves. Obviously, their natural inclination would be to go with them. On the other hand, they could also be useful by staying behind and ensuring that a panic didn't start.

"I don't like saying this, but I think that it would be best for us to stay." Kenji says.

"Finally! I've been waiting decades, but he finally made a responsible decision. I expect I'll see a pig fly by any second now." Aiya observes with a giggle.

"I must protest that observation. I have made many responsible decisions in the past. I married you, didn't I?" Kenji says.

Sasuke shakes his head as he watches his grandparents. He had grown rather used to their antics now. This was likely going to be most entertaining.

"Yes, you did. That was wonderfully irresponsible of you. Mikoto, Fugaku, you can go now. It would be best not to keep them waiting." Aiya says and with that, the new parents flit off.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the Hokage Mountain. Hiashi and Emiko were already there. It was a fairly private location. Most people wouldn't be able to tell that it was them from this height and if they did, well even for ninjas scaling a mountain wasn't something most people did for fun.

"Thank you, for coming so swiftly. We thought that you might just send a scroll here and that's why we were waiting. It wouldn't due to have it send to our Estate. That would arouse Danzo's suspicions further." Emiko explains.

Mikoto nods in understanding. They had to tread very carefully. There was no other way. If they made one wrong move, it could end in disaster.

"We are the ones who should be thanking the two of you. You are helping our family deal with a great threat." The dark beauty says.

"Well as we've said before, what's to stop Danzo from attacking our family next? His ambition and paranoia know no bounds. How is Itachi doing?" Hiashi inquires.

"He's doing quite well. I've never seen a more serene newborn." Fugaku replies.

The Uchiha Matriarch sees Hiashi nod his head in a congratulatory fashion. Honestly, it did surprise her that Hiashi and Emiko hadn't had any children yet. She decides to pawn it off to the fact Hiashi likely wanted to establish himself more as the Clan Head before they did.

"Good. I am glad to hear it. The birth of one's first child is a wonderful thing. I also believe that it may have given us quite the opportunity." He says.

Mikoto's eyes narrow. She most certainly did not like the sound of that. How did Itachi have anything to do with Danzo?

"It would be best, if you would clarify that statement." The Uchiha Matriarch says, trying to hide her fury at the implication.

Was he implying that they should use Itachi as bait?! He was a baby! The very thought was outrageous on its face!

Really, infants should be kept as far away from Danzo as possible. They were small, sweet, and innocent. Anyone who fit those descriptions, shouldn't go within ten feet of the scheming ninja.

"We can host a grand celebration. Itachi is your first child and the two of you are your Clan's leaders. It wouldn't be completely unexpected. We'll invite as many people as possible. We can surely manage to slip a poison into Danzo's drink. A slow acting one, so they won't suspect an assassination." Hiashi says.

Mikoto blinks. That was actually quite brilliant. She glances back at her husband to see what he thought.

"That could work. It would certainly give us an opportunity to have access to his food. Do you think that he would actually attend though?" The other man asks.

"He would attend. The man loves to insert himself into public functions. He thrives off of attention." Hiashi points out.

Mikoto sees her husband nod in agreement. At that moment, she knew it was settled. They were going to plan a celebration and then try to poison Danzo.

Elsewhere Obito and Shisui were with their friends. Every since the unpleasant incident where Guy had called Uchiha Eyes freaky, the spandex lover had been trying to included the young Uchihas into the group more. He was having moderate success.

"Is something going on with your family?" Rin asks in concern.

"What do you mean?" Obito replies warily.

He knew what was going on, but he wasn't sure if he should tell his friends. They might panic. Panicked people tended to do stupid things and if they did something stupid, the adults would be mad at them.

"Scary people follow us!" Shisui says and Obito mentally groans.

It wasn't Shisui's fault. He was just too little to have a filter and sometimes that got the well-intentioned kid in a lot of trouble. The only difference this time was that he had managed to drag Obito down with him.

"Scary people?" Asuma asks and Shisui nods in confirmation.

"It's a long story. My family is still trying to figure out what it all means. So don't freak out." The slightly older Uchiha insists.

He mentally sighs. Everyone was staring at them now. There was no way that he was going to be able to cover this up.

"Well I don't know what's going on, but you're our friend. You know that we'll help you out in any way we can." Kurenai says with a sweet smile.

"That's the spirit! The Power of Youth will save the day!" Guy exclaims excitedly as he strikes a dramatic heroic pose.

Obito blinks and rubs the back of his head sheepishly at Guy's response. He was still getting used to the other man's rather enthusiastic reactions to well everything. Guy was certainly an acquired taste.

"Um yeah. Right." The Uchiha agrees as Shisui laughs.

"He's right though. We're all Leaf Ninjas. That makes us comrades. That means something, even if you are annoying." Kakashi says.

Obito feels himself twitch. That was the closest to being nice that Kakashi ever got. He just couldn't give a compliment without insulting him. It really got on his nerves sometimes!

"Kakashi! Be nice!" Rin lightly chastises him.

"What? I was just saying that we're going to help him and his family figure out what is going on." The silver haired boy defends himself.

Seriously, Kakashi's hair was silver. He was just born that way, Obito guessed. No seven year old should have silver hair. It didn't make any sense. He wasn't old.

He was sure some of the other kids thought it was cool though. Kakashi probably secretly enjoyed the attention. He was just too worried about sounding like a grownup to say so!

"You were being mean! He's not annoying!" Rin protests.

The young Uchiha saw Kakashi shake his head. For a brief moment, he sympathized with the other boy. Both of them were good friends with Rin and neither wanted to see her upset.

Really, that was probably the only reason why they hadn't killed each other. They both wanted to keep Rin happy. Rin was their friend and seeing them kill each other would have upset her. It was all very simple logic really.

"Alright. We'll figure something out." Obito says as they all get in a circle and place their hands on each other.

"Team Fireball will save the day! LET'S GO!" Guy says as he beings the cheer and they all raise their hands in the air, before darting off.

Unbeknownst to the children, they weren't the only ones making plans. The Third Hokage sighs in his office. He knew that he was going to have to do something about Orochimaru and Danzo.

"Danzo's ambitions are getting out of control and Orochimaru is slipping further and further into the Darkness." He whispers to himself.

These observations brought him no great joy. Danzo might not be the most ethical man, but he was loyal to the Leaf Village. He would do anything to protect it, but that was also his greatest failing. There was no line that he wouldn't dare to cross.

"He's never alone though. That will make sorting things out rather difficult and then there is Orochimaru." Sarutobi muses.

It was a hard thing for him to accept, but it was clearly the truth. Orochimaru had attacked an Uchiha unprovoked and Sarutobi doubted that he really wanted to know what was going on in his lab. That and several ninjas had gone missing.

The Hokage didn't think that those things were a coincidence. It was quite likely that Orochimaru was experimenting on humans. He was going to have to find out, if that was true or not. After that, Sarutobi would be forced to act accordingly.

"It's a hard thing, not to be able to trust one's former student." He mutters.

He still cared about Orochimaru a great deal. Any Sensei worth their salt knew that the bond between Master and Student was a sacred one. It was only a few steps removed from the bond of parenthood really.

Speaking of parenthood, he idly wonders how Mikoto's and Fugaku's new born son was doing. He still had to pay them a visit and pay his respects. After all, that boy was going to be the head of the Uchiha Clan one day.

Such gestures were necessary, really. That and he was certain Itachi would be quite the adorable child. He did have two very attractive parents, after all. No one could deny that much.

"Well I'll visit them tomorrow and try to track Orochimaru down." He says as he heads off.

Orochimaru had recovered from his encounter with Mikoto. Sarutobi wished that he could believe that the Sannin realized that he had made a mistake. That Orochimaru had learned not to bite off more than he could chew, but he didn't.

"Some people just have to learn the hard way." He says with a chuckle as he darts off to find his wayward student.


	20. Chapter 20

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Timeline Decision:** This story has two ways that it could go from here. The first option is that Sasuke can return to the present next chapter and the rest of the story will focus mainly on the present/future. The second option is that he can stay in the past for awhile longer and everyone's fate can be decided in an epilogue. Feel free to make your opinion known. Majority will rule.

Chapter 20

Sasuke finds himself rather impressed when a week later, a grand celebration was organized for Itachi. He had thought their wedding was put together quickly, but apparently Uchihas were more efficient than honeybees when they wanted to be. Damn.

"You're mother is a Matriarch. Planning events is what Matriarchs do." Fugaku informs Sasuke with a rather amused look on his face.

"Yeah. I got that. I just didn't think that they could cobble something together this fast, especially not something this grand." The raven haired man replies.

The District had many grand tapestries depicting scenes from the Leaf's and their Clan's history hung over them. There were flowers and lit torches everywhere. Not to mention there were dozens of tables stacked with every food that you could imagine and festival music was playing in the background.

"Never underestimate what Uchiha women are capable of." Fugaku tells him.

"Most sound advice. Though I might add that it would be a foolish mistake to underestimate Hyuga women as well." Hiashi says as he walks over to them with his wife at his side.

Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief. Thank goodness that the Hyuga Patriarch hadn't arrived even one moment before. His cover had almost been blown.

It was one thing to plot Danzo's assassination together. It was something else entirely to tell him the truth. Sasuke couldn't tell Hiashi that he was from the future. The man would likely never believe him and if by some miracle he did, the young Uchiha doubted that such an outcome would end well for anyone involved.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Sasuke says with a smile.

"Good. You'd do well to remember it. Has Danzo arrived yet?" Hiashi inquires.

Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. It was still early. He fully expected that Danzo would be arriving soon. The man just couldn't resist involving himself in every important affair of the Leaf Village.

His ambition was truly almost incomprehensible. One day, it would be his undoing. Sasuke could only hope that that day would be today.

"Oh he's adorable, Mikoto. Truly." Emko observes with a smile as she looks down at the bundle in the Uchiha Matriarch's arms.

"Thank you. He's our little angel. He so rarely fusses." The young mother says proudly.

Sasuke glances at his brother and nods in confirmation. This time around, the avenger was going to make certain that Itachi didn't have a reason to fuss later on. This time, Itachi would be allowed to have a normal childhood and perhaps one day, eventually have children of his own.

"Yes, he's a very good boy." Fugaku comments with fatherly pride as he kisses Itachi's forehead.

"Lord Fugaku! Lord Fugaku! Lord Danzo has arrived!" Shisui says as he rushes over to the Uchiha Patriarch with his friends at his side.

"Thank you, Shisui. We'll be sure to greet him properly. You have a good time with your friends." The older Uchiha states and with that, the group makes their way over to Danzo.

 _Enormous_. It took an enormous amount of self-control for Sasuke not to lunge at Danzo and put a kunai straight through his treacherous, black heart. He somehow manages not to do so, but it was a close call.

Soon enough, that viper would be dead. The world would be much better off without him as well. Sasuke couldn't wait to see his lifeless corpse, again.

"Ah there are the proud parents. Congratulations." Danzo greets them with a fake smile.

A smile that made Sasuke want to bash his teeth in. Once again, his self-control was being tested. At the moment, he really didn't know how long his willpower would be able to override his instincts and that thought disturbed him.

"Thank you." Mikoto replies with a sweet smile and Fugaku nods proudly.

Fortunately, his parents were apparently better actors than him. Sasuke was rather impressed and a bit unsettled by how easily they slipped into _Pleasant Masks_. They were easily able to hide their contempt for the man standing next to them behind masks of pleasantness. He couldn't help but envy this ability a little bit.

"You're welcome. I must say that your Clan appears to be becoming less insular as of late." Danzo observes.

"Yes, we thought it would be best to remind everyone that our family is part of this village. We aren't merely its neighbor." Fugaku says.

Sasuke tries to hide his smirk at that response. His father was good at dawning a Pleasant Mask, but apparently it didn't stay on that long. His mother was clearly better at this game.

"That's good to hear. I dislike hearing about Leaf Villagers questioning the loyalty of other Leaf Villagers." Danzo says with a wistful sigh.

For just a moment, Sasuke saw his mother's eyes narrow. It was gone almost as quickly as it came though. Mikoto must have realized what she was doing.

"Yes, as do we. Won't you join us for dinner?" She asks sweetly.

"Of course. Oh and Mikoto, you do not look like a woman who recently gave childbirth. Your recovery time is exceptional." Danzo compliments her.

At this, Sasuke notices even the Hyugas were rather irritated. The underlying implication wasn't hard to miss. The man was talking about Mikoto's figure.

Suddenly, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder who was more likely to lose control. Him or Fugaku? It was a tough call. Both of them had good reasons to want to gut the elderly ninja like a fish.

"That's very kind of you to say." Mikoto replies calmly, though even Itachi was giving Danzo a rather dirty look.

Sasuke smirks. That was his big brother. Well that was his baby brother. Damn it. That was his brother. He was always aware of his surroundings, even as a baby.

Meanwhile in the present, it could no longer be avoided. The truth had to be known. Kakashi had tried his best to keep it contained, but it was just impossible.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto asks warily.

"It's not a good idea, but our fellow Leaf Villagers aren't stupid. Apparently, the reverberations of what Sasuke is doing are being felt even outside the village as well. I'm hopeful that it is only Gaara who was impacted outside our borders, but that is not a sure bet." Kakashi says.

Truly, it wasn't a decision he was making lightly. His hand had been forced. It had been forced by his forever wayward student. Had Kakashi known what he was getting himself into when he offered to become a Sensei, he would have chosen another post.

He could have had Iruka's job. How hard could be to teach children who didn't even know how to throw fireballs yet? It would have been a nice relaxing post and he could have read his books while they were at lunch or recess.

"I'm afraid that I have to agree with Kakashi. The villagers aren't stupid." Gaara says.

"Gaara, how much longer can you be away from the Sand Village before people start to worry?" Sakura asks in concern.

Kakashi frowns. Yes, that would have been the smarter choice. Instead of doing the logical thing though, he had decided to follow in his old Sensei's footsteps and become a Genin Instructor. Damn.

Sakura brought up a good point though. Gaara had already been away from his own village for far longer than was advised. Thankfully, he doubted anyone would seriously try to usurp the red head while he was away. Unfortunately, that wouldn't stop people from worrying about him.

"Not much longer. I'm pushing the limits of what is considered socially acceptable as it is." The Kazekage admits.

The silver haired ninja nods sympathetically. He wished that he wasn't Hokage at the moment. He had expected paperwork. He had expected strife within the village and even international conflict. Time travel though was beyond him.

"Gaara, you should probably go back to the Sand. You might not be the only Sand Villager who is experiencing changes." Hinata says.

"That's true. Well I doubt anyone else is going to find out that they are engaged to the Uchiha. So that's something of a relief." The red head says with a heavy sigh.

"Lord Kazekage, please do not pour salt in my wounds." Hiashi growls in annoyance.

The young Kage shoots the Hyuga Patriarch an apologetic look and then proceeds to head off. His friends and allies were right. There was nothing to be gained by him staying there.

It was unsettling to say the least, but their fates were truly in Sasuke's hands. Now that was a terrifying thought. That man had been lost to the Darkness for years and had only begun to claw himself out of it before he decided to change the course of history!

"Are you really still that sore about the engagement?" Kakashi asks, once Gaara was gone.

"My daughter is apparently going to marry a man that quite literally is capable of destroying our village, if Naruto doesn't intervene. Now, he has found another way to potentially do so and you have the unmitigated gall to ask me that question?" Hiashi asks incredulously.

"Hey! Sasuke is a good guy! I mean yeah, he's done some crazy stuff. That doesn't matter now though! He's back to normal!" The blonde protests.

Kakashi groans. Oh boy. Naruto certainly wasn't helping Sasuke's case. Damn it. Now he had to find a way to prevent a complete disaster.

"Stop it! We need to stick together. Kakashi is going to make the announcement. That and we don't even REALLY know if we are talking about the same Sasuke. If he succeeds in preventing the Massacre, he might be a completely different person by the time he gets back." Sakura points out.

Kakashi sighs and nods his head in agreement. That was a very good point. They really had no idea what was going to happen and that was far more terrifying than any of Sasuke's previous rages.

"He did give me this necklace. I think he's changed." Hinata says.

"Just because he gave you a necklace does not meant that he is a suitable companion. As I said before, I will defer to my other self's judgment. I still do not approve of this match." Hiashi insists.

"Duly noted. I do not mean to be disrespectful, but we do have more important matters to attend to. One couple's impending marriage is not nearly as important as the fate of this village." The CopyCat Ninja points out.

That's when Sakura screams in shock. Kakashi blinks. What was wrong with Sakura? One moment she was fine and then the next she was scream in terror.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" He asks.

"Your Sharingan is gone." His student whispers in response.

Kakashi blinks once again and quickly goes to check his appearance in the mirror. It was true. His Sharingan and scar were gone. Did that mean that Obito had never been crushed?

Steeling himself, he heads back out to the others. This was either a very good thing or a very bad thing. He wasn't sure which, but he did know that it was as significant development.

"It seems my Sharingan is gone. The timelines are getting closer and closer together." Kakashi says with a sigh.

Meanwhile back in the past, the party was in full swing. Sasuke blinks as he observes everyone. His grandparents were certainly stealing the show. He wasn't sure whether to find that amusing or be amazed at how flexible two people in their fifties could apparently be.

"And that's how we did it, back in our day." Aiya says with a smile as she spins right back into her husband's arms.

"I remember those days and many people throwing out their backs or falling all over themselves and breaking a few bones." Danzo observes.

Kenji merely rolls his eyes at the elderly ninja and dips his wife. Sasuke had to envy his grandfather's ability to completely dismiss Danzo without causing a major scene. Impressive.

"The food is great!" Choji's father says happily as he chows down next to his teammates.

"Thank you. We did try to find something for everyone." Mikoto states as she plays the part of the perfect hostess.

"You succeeded." The man who would become Shikamaru's father states, before getting drug off for a dance by his future wife.

Sasuke was almost positive that he heard the Jonin mutter something about this being a drag, along with his hasty apology. He wasn't entirely sure though. Well either way, apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"I'm glad that my own wife is not nearly as bossy." Fugaku observes with a chuckle.

"Hey, Fugaku! Hello, Mikoto! Good to see all of you!" Minato calls out as he gets drug off to dance by his beautiful girlfriend.

"How does that man keep up with her?" Hiashi wonders as he wraps his arms around his wife's waist.

"I have no idea." Fugaku admits as he watches the other couple take off.

"Love is how he keeps up with her." Emiko says with a smile.

Danzo tries his best to refrain from rolling his eyes. Love was apparently in the air in the Leaf. To a certain extent, that was a good thing. The Leaf needed the next generation of ninjas to be born, of course. It was also most annoying.

An hour or two passes. Sasuke could tell that Danzo was debating about when would be the earliest socially acceptable time to leave. That's when Mikoto bounds over to where all the dancing was taking place and gestures for Emiko and Kushina to join her.

"What are they doing?" Sasuke asks his father.

"…You'll understand when you're older." Fugaku mutters.

"What are you talking about?! I'm seventeen!" The younger Uchiha points out.

Sasuke saw Kenji snort in amusement and mentally sighs. Apparently, the women were up to something. Something big, judging by his reaction.

That's when he notices his mother had started to dance and she was twirling the bottom of her kimono around, suddenly a swirl of flames surrounds her and she links arms with Emiko.

"That's….dramatic." Sasuke admits.

Emiko smiles and twirls around with Mikoto. Her own Kimono swaying around her and now a swirl of water joins the fire.

"That's beautiful." Aiya says approvingly as she sips her sake.

"Yes." Danzo agrees with a sigh as he takes another gulp of his own sake.

Sasuke smirks. So that was it. They were hitting Danzo where it hurt most. The ROOT Member had trained himself to feel as few human emotions as possible. The happiness of others would definitely drive him to drink more of his poisoned sake.

That's when Kushina joined in. The red head added wind to the mix. Now the three of them were twirling around faster and faster. Sasuke blinks at the show they were putting on.

"…" The young Uchiha is suddenly speechless.

That was a lot of leg being shown. This was just awkward. He didn't need to see his mother do a seductive dance.

Though there was one good thing that came out of it, Danzo was drinking a lot more. Apparently, it wasn't just happiness that he had an issue with. It was also sexuality.

"I think that I'll go join them." Aiya says with a smile as she saunters over.

This was a very strange day. Now his grandmother was joining in with the suggestive dancing and apparently she used Earth as her primary nature. There were now rose petals swirling around in the mix.

All in all, it was disturbingly beautiful and even erotic. He could say that about Kushina and Emiko at least. Danzo didn't have that "family buffer" though.

"It's quite the impressive party." He mutters.

Itachi coos in response and Sasuke raises an eyebrow. His brother was certainly enormously perceptive. It was almost disturbing really.

"Yes, it is. We wanted to celebrate Itachi's birth in a way that was appropriate for the occasion." The proud father says.

Sasuke smirks. When Fugaku said appropriate for the occasion, he meant with Danzo's death. Now that would truly be a great birthday present for Itachi!

Meanwhile in the present, Kakashi had called an emergency village meeting. Everyone was gathering around din the Village Square and the silver haired man takes a deep breath. He was going to need all of his resolve to get through this.

"I'm certain that you are all wondering why I called you here today. Well I suppose this charade has gone on long enough. There is no point in keeping it from any of you, any longer. There is a reason why you have been seeing strange things, people who have long since left us behind, and experiencing strange visions." He begins warily.

Sakura, Hiashi, Naruto, and Hinata all stand behind Kakash iin a show of support. This wasn't going to be easy and they all knew it. Sadly, there was no getting around it any longer.

"Sasuke Uchiha has found a way to perform a Jutsu that should have been impossible. He has traveled back in time. We are not sure when exactly, but based on the appearances of the Fourth Hokage and others, we can safely assume that it is fairly far back. Years." The CopyCat Ninja explains.

"What?! Well go after him?! Make him stop it! He can't just meddle with time!" Cries of outrage are heard.

Luckily. Hiashi Hyuga knew how to handle a boisterous crowd. After all, he was the leader of the largest Clan left in the Leaf Village. This was just part of his job.

"SILENCE! Do not forget who you are speaking to! Kakashi is your Hokage and you would do well to remember that! Do not disgrace yourselves further by acting like frightened children!" He thunders at them.

Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura could only gape in awe. None of them had ever seen anything like that before. Hiashi had somehow silenced the unruly mob with ease. It was nothing short of incredible.

"The Jutsu can only be performed if one has the Rinnegan. Quite simply, we can't go after Sasuke. It's physically impossible." The silver haired man explains.

"What about the Byakugan? Could a Hyuga go after him?" Someone from the crowd suggests.

"No. I'm afraid that's not possible. As difficult as it is to say, all we can do is wait." Kakashi informs them.

There were roars of outrage and cries of terror. Kakashi couldn't blame them. They had just found out what he had known for the better part of a year, their fate was now in the hands of Sasuke Uchiha. That was something that would be difficult for anyone to wrap their head around.

A few days later, Danzo was in his home and he was gasping for breath. He didn't know why, but it was suddenly very hard to breathe. He needed to get to a hospital.

"HELP! HELP!" He calls out desperately.

He hated the way that his voice came out. It was barely more than a whisper, no matter how hard he tried to call out for help. What was wrong with him?! Why was this happening?

"It's not a pleasant feeling, is it? Being helpless. Not having any control over your own fate." He hears a familiar voice ask as Daisuke Flickers into his room.

Sasuke had made sure that his chakra was masked and the room was soundproof before coming. He wanted to witness Danzo's death again. This man was responsible for almost everything bad that had happened to his Clan in the modern era. Seeing him die only once just wasn't enough.

"Help me!" He pleads desperately, trying his best to breathe.

"Why would I do that? You were planning to assassinate the Head of my Clan. I know that in time, you would have done far more than that. Your ambition is what is killing you now. Well that and some poison that is causing your lungs to swell with fluid. The medics will simply think it's an infection. No one will suspect the truth due to your old age." Sasuke says with a cruel smirk.

Danzo's eyes narrow in rage. He tries to jump up from his bed and attack Sasuke, but it was no use. He doubles over and coughs up blood and other fluids from his lungs. He was choking on his own blood!

"I won't allow you to harm my family. I just wanted you to know something before you died. No one will mourn you. Not really. The Leaf will grant you the customary funeral that is required of someone who has reached your station, but not a single tear will be shed for you. I doubt you care about that though." The Uchiha continues.

The youth couldn't stop delighting in the fact that Danzo couldn't even respond. He was too busy trying not to choke on his own blood. It was a wonderfully empowering experience. That was probably why he couldn't resist tormenting the other man until the bitter end.

"So you can die with the knowledge that you were NEVER good enough to be Hokage and everything that you did, meant NOTHING." Sasuke finishes as he watches the man cling to life.

Sasuke smiles as Danzo falls over, several minutes later. He would never rise again. Without Danzo, ROOT would disband. Now, all he had to do to keep his family safe was to make sure that Obito would never attack the Leaf with the Nine Tails.

"So close. We're almost there." He says to himself.

One by one, he was eliminating the threats to his family. It wouldn't take long now. His Clan was very nearly safe.

It was still dumbfounding how one little boy held the fate of his Clan in his tiny hands, but Sasuke had long since made his peace with it. Making sure that Obito wouldn't betray the Leaf was now the most important thing. One way or another, he was going to save them all.

"The same can't be said for you though. Enjoy Hell." He mutters as he heads off.

He was tempted to spit on Danzo's corpse, but Sasuke didn't want to leave any DNA evidence behind. No. That would ruin everything. The ANBU would find him eventually and bury him.

"It worked." He says with a smirk, before heading back to the Uchiha District to rejoin his family to celebrate Danzo's death.


	21. Chapter 21

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. The votes are in and the results are as follows: 6 Present/Future Vote and 3 Past Votes. That means that Sasuke will be going back to his era in this chapter. Don't worry to my Past Voters. There will be flashbacks to expand on the "Gap Years." Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sasuke has altered the timeline in pretty drastic ways. That means there will be a bit of a shakeup in the Leaf's power structure. This is obviously not cannon.

Chapter 21

A few days later, Danzo's body was found and the funeral was held. Sasuke had to admit that the village was apparently filled with good actors. Most of the villagers could at least feign somberness at the "loss" of the elderly ninja. In reality, he was certain that there were far more people who were thrilled at his demise than just his Clan.

"Daisuke, are you able to tell when you can return home?" Mikoto asks as young family heads back to their District.

"I always figured that I'd return home whenever the timeline was set or that I'd try the Jutsu then." Sasuke replies as he sets Itachi back in his crib.

Mikoto and Fugaku sigh as they look at each other. Sasuke recognized those kinds of sighs. Wistful. Heavy sighs. They weren't happy about something.

"We'd love for you to stay with us, but you have your own life in the future and we believe that it's time for you to stop living in the past." Fugaku states as he embraces Sasuke.

Oh this was serious. The Uchiha Patriarch was hardly the type of man who embraced people often. His parents really thought that he should return to his time.

"I will miss you, but I think that it's best if you returned. Danzo is dead. He was the threat, right?" Mikoto asks softly as she caresses his cheek tenderly.

Was Danzo the threat? Well the man was certainly a large part of it. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only threat. Sasuke had to consider Obito.

Obito was a cute kid now, but once upon a time that boy had nearly destroyed reality as the world knew it. Could he really leave his relative behind, knowing that? Could he take that big a risk?

"He was one of them. Probably the largest in a way. There were others. I thought that this day might come. I left a journal filled with instructions behind your wedding portrait. I drilled a whole behind it and covered it up well. You'll know where to find it because the wall will feel hollow there. You can open it, if you pull on it." The raven haired man says with a sigh of his own.

It was a gamble, but his mother was right. Sasuke did need to return to his own time. He didn't really want to think about what would happen when his younger self arrived. Could two Sasukes even exist in this era or would something else happen?

Time Travel had so rarely been done, that he really didn't know the answer to that question and it disturbed him. He or his younger self might both disappear for all he knew. What if the timelines collided and they all just disappeared? Each new possibility that his mind envisioned became steadily more horrific than the last. With that in mind, Sasuke decides the only responsible thing to do was to return to his era.

"Such a clever boy. I'm proud of you. We'll take good care of the journal, your brother, and you when you return to us. Well the smaller you, anyway." Fugaku says.

"I know you will. I've been feeling a pull, ever since Danzo's death. I think that my way home is about to appear." Sasuke says as he smiles down at Itachi and tickles his tummy.

Itachi coos in response and the other Uchiha. Sasuke just smiles more and leans down to poke his forehead. Itachi had had that coming for years. Revenge really was sweet sometimes!

"WAHHHH!" Itachi lets out a mighty wail.

"Daisuke!" Mikoto scolds him as she scoops up Itachi and rocks her firstborn to soothe him.

"I'm sorry. He just used to do that to me all the time in the future. It's just our way of saying we love each other." Sasuke says, trying to defend himself.

The time traveling ninja hears his father chuckle and sighs in relief. If Fugaku wasn't angry, Mikoto likely wouldn't stay mad for long. He was clearly the more hotheaded between the two of them.

"As you're leaving, I think that we can be lenient this time. Though what makes you say that? Why do you believe that your way home is about to emerge?" The Uchiha Patriarch asks.

"The Time Traveling Jutsu anticipated what might happen, if the Rinnegan wasn't available to the user in the past. There was a back up plan. After a certain point, the chakra that the caster used to perform the Jutsu would form a portal. That portal will that will take me back to my time." Sasuke explains.

Mikoto frowns. She wasn't entirely certain she liked the sounds of that. How did Daisuke know that he would be sent back to the right time?

"And you know for certain that the portal will take you where you want to go?" She asks fretfully.

"I don't know that for certain, but I know that the tablets got me here. So I think they will take me back. It's a risk, but it's one that I have to take. I can't stay here. What happens when the other me is born?" Sasuke inquires gently.

Mikoto looks at Fugaku helplessly. Clearly, the woman was less than convinced. Sasuke couldn't entirely blame her though. If he was in her position, he'd probably be begging his child not to take such a risk. Sadly, it had to be done.

"He's right, Mikoto. I'm sorry, but he's right." The elder Uchiha says.

"Whatever happens after this, I want you all to know that I love you. Also I had the Third Hokage forge some transfer papers. The cover story to explain my disappearance is that I fell in love with a foreign ninja and transferred." He states.

"I didn't even think about that. You should at least say goodbye to Shisui, Obito, and your grandparents before you return. Let them know that you found love. That way, they'll "know"" that you're happy and the loss will be less painful." The dark beauty reasons.

Sasuke nods in response. That was a good point. It would be cruel to leave all of them hanging. They had a right to know what happened to him, even if it was a lie.

"Alright. I'll go and do that now." Sasuke says as he embraces his parents and cuddles Itachi one more, before he Flickers off.

"I'm going to miss him so." Mikoto sniffles as she leans into her husband for support.

"I'll miss him as well. It's not goodbye though. We'll see him again." Fugaku assures his wife as he kisses the top of her head and smiles down at Itachi reassuringly.

Their sons were both enormously perceptive. Fugaku didn't doubt that somehow Itachi knew that something strange was going on. The last thing that he wanted was to scare his infant child. That was why he was going to endure this separation with dignity and grace. (Well at least that's what he was going to try to do, anyway.)

Meanwhile in the present, Hinata's eyes widen. Her Byakugan had caught a strange light coming from the Forest of Death. Upon seeing this, the Hyuga Heiress immediately rushes off to find her friends.

"You have to see this! Come quickly!" Hinata shouts at Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.

"Hinata, what's wrong? Why are you screaming?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"There's a strange light coming from the Forest of Death. I think it might be Sasuke. Kakashi said it himself. The timelines are getting closer together. Maybe they're about to collide." She whispers.

Sakura frowns. That wasn't necessarily a good thing. They had no way of knowing, what would happen when Sasuke got back.

Assuming he was friendly, there were still the physical effects of such an occurrence. There could be an earthquake, a fire, or the force of the timelines realigning could incinerate all of them. There really was no way of knowing and that was a terrifying thought.

"Let's assume Hinata's right. What should we do? Should we really charge right in there? We don't know what is going to happen." Sakura points out.

Now it was Kakashi's turn to frown. His former student had an excellent point. The four of them were playing with fire and hoping that they wouldn't get burned. This might not end well.

"That's true. I don't think we have a choice though. If something goes wrong, we might be able to contain it. If it spreads, the others won't really know what to do." The silver haired ninja reasons.

"We don't really know what to do either." Naruto retorts.

The Hokage could only sigh and nod in agreement. Naruto was right. There wasn't a single one of them, who had ever encountered time travel before. Everything that they were about to do was based off guessing. That wasn't a particularly comforting notion.

"That's also true, but we need to act now. If nothing else, we might be able to protect the Leaf in the worst case scenario." The CopyCat Ninja offers.

"You're right, Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura agrees.

"Yeah. That and I'm so going to kick that bastard's ass! I can't believe that he was this stupid. For a genius, he can be pretty stupid sometimes! I wouldn't even do something as crazy as time travel!" The Jinchuuriki adds.

Kakashi chuckles. Leave it to Naruto to lighten the mood of the room during such a tense time. It was truly one of the bubbly blonde's most powerful gifts. The gift of laughter.

"Naruto!" Hinata protests her friend's assessment.

"Oh right! You guys are kinda engaged now. You totally can kick his ass first. I mean it's only fair. You are going to be married to the bastard. Well at least I think you're going to be married to the bastard!" Naruto says cheerfully.

"Naruto, will you please stop calling my fiancée names?" Hinata demands.

The CopyCat Ninja could only shake his head in disbelief. Life could be strange sometimes. Not only had Sasuke gone back to the past, he had somehow gotten engaged. Only Sasuke.

"I'm sure that Sasuke will find it deeply touching that you defended his honor while he was away, but for now we have more important things to focus on than what nicknames Naruto gives out." Kakashi states.

The three other ninjas nod their heads in understanding and with that, they depart from the Hokage Office. They had only one thought on their minds. They had to get to the Forest of Death and keep everyone safe.

Back in the past, Sasuke was having dinner with his family. If there was one thing that he was going to miss about the past, it was definitely his grandmother's and mother's cooking. Really, the two of them should have been chefs or bakers. They were that good at cooking.

"This is great, but I have important news." Sasuke says.

"Important news?" Aiya asks curiously and Sasuke nods in confirmation.

"I'm moving to another village. I've fallen in love with a foreign ninja. The Hokage has approved the transfer and I'm leaving soon. I love all of you and our Clan, but she's the one. I know that it's sudden, but sometimes you just know." Sasuke says.

Kenji blinks. Whatever he had been expecting Daisuke to say, that hadn't been it. He could scarcely believe his ears.

How had the shy boy that he adored, changed so suddenly? Daisuke was really going to move to another village to be with a woman whom he'd had a whirlwind romance with? It was shocking to say the least.

"Well I think that I speak for everyone here, when I say congratulations. We're very happy for you. We'll all miss you, of course. Still if this woman is your most precious person, certain sacrifices can be made." Kenji assures him with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You're really leaving?!" Obito asks as he looks positively crestfallen.

"Yes, I am. You're still my favorite student though. Don't tell Kakashi or Rin." Sasuke says with a smile as he messes up Obito's hair affectionately.

He couldn't help but feel guilty for lying to them all. They all looked so sad and yet happy for him. This was what it meant to be a family though. It meant that you loved someone enough to put their happiness above your own. Unconditional love.

"Alright! I won't tell him. Is she pretty?" Obito asks slyly as he crosses his fingers behind his back.

Sasuke decides to pretend not to notice that gesture. Obito was definitely going to tell Kakashi and Rin that he was Daisuke's favorite student. Whatever. He supposed in the end, that didn't really matter.

"She's the most beautiful woman in the world to me." Sasuke lies with ease.

"Girls like flowers." Shisui suggests helpfully.

"Yes. Yes, they do. Thanks for the advice. Oh and you be nice to Itachi. He's going to look up to you because you're older than him." Sasuke says as he pokes the four year old's head teasingly.

Shisui grumbles. Sasuke snorts in amusement. He could see why Itachi did this so much. It was pretty funny.

"We wish you all the luck and happiness in the world. If it doesn't work out for some reason, you'll always have a home here." Aiya promises him as she kisses his cheek.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. Make sure to keep Kenji in line. He needs a firm hand or else he'll get out of control at Bachelor Parties." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Aiya twitches and turns her attention towards Kenji. Sasuke couldn't help but delight in this reaction. Ha! That will teach Kenji for trying to play matchmaker.

"I just went with our son to make sure that he didn't get into any trouble! That's all!" Kenji protests.

"Right. Well I'm going to go. Thanks for dinner and I love all of you." Sasuke says with a smile and with that, he darts off.

Meanwhile Sarutobi was dining with Orochimaru. He had to try to save his student. The man was slipping down the Path of Darkness.

That meant that it was up to him to save the other ninja. The Third Hokage had no intention of losing such a talented and brilliant fighter, if he could help it. That was why he was going to take drastic measures.

"I must admit that I am rather fascinated by the research you're doing. I believe in time, it will provide significant benefits to the Ninja World." He begins.

Flattery was generally a wise place to start. While Orochimaru might not have a burning desire to be Hokage, he still wanted to be acknowledged. Such a desire was only natural. Most people wanted to be acknowledged.

"Thank you. I'm glad that you agree." Orochimaru says with a positively predatory smile.

"That's why I would like to help you with it. With Danzo's death, I think that it's time that I face the truth. I'm not getting any younger. I can be of more use to our people helping you than I can be as an aging Hokage." He continues.

Sarutobi could tell that he had shocked the other man into silence because Orochimaru was now gaping at him. In all fairness, he knew that this decision had been a major curveball. He would have been concerned, if Orochimaru WASN'T surprised.

"That's very generous of you. I think that you are selling yourself short though. You're still a very powerful ninja. Your age hasn't stopped you fight performing incredible feats on the battlefield and your wisdom is most helpful to our village." The Sannin replies.

"Oh I know that I'm healthy now, but how long will that last? I'd rather bow out gracefully, while I can still help in other ways. I've decided to ask Jirayia to become Hokage. He's young, powerful, and loyal. I would ask Tsunade, but she is busy at the hospital. I considered you as well, but you're better suited to your research." He explains.

Sarutobi watches as Orochimaru's expression changes from shock to anger and finally to acceptance. Thankfully, it appeared that the flattery might have worked. It was a miracle.

"I'm certain that Jirayia will thrive in the position, if he can tear himself away from women's bathhouses long enough to actually perform his duties. You're right about Tsunade and I though. That and I can certainly use the help." He says with a smile.

The Third Hokage nods approvingly. Well that was the first step. That was the first step towards saving Orochimaru.

Sarutobi could only hope that it wasn't already too late. He knew that he should have stepped in sooner, but he just hadn't wanted to believe the worst of his former student. Hopefully, that wouldn't be Orochimaru's undoing.

Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Sasuke heads towards the Forest. He could now see purple light. The light was clearly his chakra and it was forming into a door. The door that would take him home.

"This has to work." Sasuke whispers to himself as he takes several blood and chakra replenishing pills.

He really didn't know what the difference would be between the way he came here and the way he was leaving. That was why he had decided to prepare for the worse. The pills should prevent him from dying of blood or chakra loss, if worse came to worst.

Sasuke opens the door and walks through. That's when he was caught in a swirling void of purple light and suddenly, he felt like he was hurtling toward something and was being assaulted by a barrage of images. Images that were now apparently his memories.

 _"What's that, Itachi?" Mikoto asked with a smile as her young child whispered something in her ear._

 _She had just given birth to him. Sasuke saw himself safely nestled in his mother's arms, with his father watching his family proudly. Itachi was only a child, but apparently determined._

 _"Oh I think that's a good idea. If we name him after a powerful ninja, he might become strong himself one day. Sasuke. What do you think, My Loves?" The dark beauty asked her husband and Itachi._

 _"I like it. It's rather close to the other one's name. I wonder if that was a coincidence or if he had to improvise." Fugaku observed with a chuckle._

 _"Other one?" Itachi inquired in an adorably confused voice._

 _"Nevermind, sweetheart. We'll be going home soon. For now, I think your baby brother needs some rest. I know that I sure do." Mikoto told Itachi as she kissed his forehead._

That wasn't the only image though. There were more. A lot more. Sasuke could scarcely keep up with them.

 _He was riding on Itachi's back. Itachi was taking him to the Entrance Day at the Academy, but they weren't alone. Mikoto, Fugaku, Aiya, and Kenji were with them. Not to mention, Shisui and Obito had decided to tag along as well._

 _"Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm certain that you will excel. All Uchihas do, really." Fugaku told him proudly and Mikoto giggled._

 _"As you can tell, your father is a very modest man." His mother told him as if she was sharing a great secret._

 _"Whoa. Pretty big class, this year. Oh look, there's the Hokage's family." Obito observed._

 _Indeed. He was right. Minato, Kushina, and Naruto were there. The bubbly blonde toddles over to greet his playmate, who was still on Itachi's back._

 _"Alright, Sasuke. I'll let you down so you can go play with your friend now." He said as he let the younger Uchiha climb off his shoulders._

 _"They're so cute at that age." Aiya observed with a smile._

 _"Yes. Yes, they are." Kenji agreed as he placed a kiss on his wife's cheek and the two boys took off to go play with some other children, while waiting for the Ceremony to officially begin._

"Ahhh!" Sasuke hisses in pain.

The barrage just kept coming and coming. It was fast and furious. It was almost as if some damn had burst.

 _"I wanna know what's in that book!" A twelve year old Naruto exclaimed._

 _"Naruto, that's Kakashi Sensei's private property. You can't just go stealing it from him." Sakura replied._

 _"That's a good point. Stealing is wrong, unless it's for a mission." Sasuke said somberly._

 _Sakura nodded. Clearly, she was pleased that Sasuke was going to be reasonable. Ha! That girl really didn't know him very well!_

 _"Which is why we aren't going to steal it. We're merely going to borrow it and take a peek." Sasuke said with a smirk._

 _"SASUKE!" Sakura howls in outrage and the two boys just laughed as they took off to "borrow" Kakashi's book._

Sasuke winces in pain as he kept falling and falling. The memories just wouldn't stop. It was all too much!

 _"So let me get this straight, your family wants an official alliance with the Hyuga's right?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke as they faced off during training._

 _Sasuke had made friends with a group that he had dubbed Taka during one of his many missions. Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu were the three ninjas who had been assigned to Orochimaru's squad._

 _Somehow, the young Uchiha had grown close to them for different reasons. Jugo viewed him as his Cage and Sasuke liked being needed. Karin was really smart and her healing/sensory abilities were useful, once he overlooked the fact that the girl was completely obsessed with him. Finally, there was Suigetsu. Sasuke liked his mischievous nature and it was nice to have a training partner who was arguably at least, if not more, skilled with a blade than he was._

 _"That's right. They want it to be through a marriage. Normally, that would fall to Itachi. He's the eldest, but he's already married. He and Izumi were childhood sweethearts. The two were made for each other. So that means that I'm the one that has to take his place." Sasuke answered as he blocked his friend's sword._

 _"Oh goodie. So you have to marry Hinata, right?" The violet eyed swordsmen asked._

 _Sasuke nodded. Honestly, he had never really thought much about marriage, but Hinata seemed like a good choice. It wasn't like he was in love with anyone else and she was a good woman._

 _"That's right. I mean I didn't really expect that my marriage would be an arranged one, but I'm sure she'll be a good wife. She's kind, strong in her own way, and beautiful. She's really shy, but this was my choice. My parents wouldn't force me into a marriage against my will." Sasuke informed the other man._

 _"Poor girl. She probably is happy about it because you have a pretty face, but she's in for a surprise. Naruto's right about one thing. You can be such a bastard. If it doesn't work out though, I'll take her. She has one Hell of a rack." The former Mist Ninja observed thoughtfully._

 _Sasuke twitched. There were days, when he was confident that Suigetsu LIKED getting beaten up. That could be the only logical explanation for why he would say something like that._

 _"CHIDORI!" The young Uchiha roared as he lunged at his friend with his trademark technique blazing._

 _"Hey! Hey! No need to go all psychotic like that! I'm just saying that she's nice to look at!" Suigetsu gulped as he dodged._

 _"And I'm just saying that if you talk about my future wife like that again, I'll cut your OTHER sword off." Sasuke warned him._

It was all too much. Sasuke couldn't process anymore. That's when he landed on the ground with a loud crash. The impact knocked him unconscious.

That was how Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Hinata found Sasuke. They found him laying in the middle of a fairly sizable crater in the Forest of Death next to a door made of chakra. Things only got stranger from there though.

"The chakra is moving!" Naruto shouts out in terror.

"I think that the timeline is resetting. It's a good thing that we wrote those notes." Hinata says quickly as she holds onto Sakura's hand tightly for support.

She was scared about what was going to happen next. Hinata supposed they all were. This was the moment that they had been dreading for a long time. The timelines were about to merge.

"I guess now we'll finally know what kind of world Sasuke has created for all of us." Kakashi whispers as the bright light engulfs the entire Leaf Village.


	22. Chapter 22

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Gaara still has the One Tails and Naruto no longer has Kurama. Kushina is still the vessel for the Nine Tails. This is all thanks to the timeline reset.

Chapter 22

Hours later, Sasuke was the first to wake. He winces and rubs his temples in an effort to relieve his agony. Sadly, it was all in vain. His head was still throbbing and he felt dizzy as more "memories" continued to swirl around in his mind.

"Damn it." He grunts in pain as he looks around, trying to assess his current situation.

Any ninja worth their salt would do the same. One had to be aware of their surroundings at all time and to expect the unexpected. Ninjas who failed to do so, tended to die young.

That's when he notices that he wasn't alone. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were laying only a few feet away from him. This causes Sasuke to sigh.

"I wonder if they'll remember anything from the old timeline?" He whispers.

That would make things rather complicated. What if everyone had two sets of memories? One from the previous "life" and one from this one.

"I probably should have thought this through more." Sasuke mutters to himself as he quickly walks over and checks their vital signs.

 _Thump! Thump! Thump!_ Thank goodness. They were all alive. He could feel a steady pulse from all of them. Apparently, they had all just gotten knocked out.

As he was looking around, he saw the Uchiha District standing tall off in the District. Well if that was intact, it must have worked. His plan must have worked!

"B-astard, what are we all doing in the F-orest of Death and why are Kakashi Sensei, Sakura, and Hinata unconscious?" Naruto groans out as he slowly rises to his feet.

Well that answered that question. If Naruto didn't remember what they were doing here, the others probably wouldn't either. It was nothing short of a miracle, really.

"We were all training together and must have overdone it." Sasuke says.

"Oh. You really shouldn't train that rough with Hinata. I mean she's going to be your wife! You're supposed to be nice to her!" Naruto scolds him.

Sasuke automatically rolls his eyes and then blinks at what the other ninja said. His wife. He was still engaged to Hinata.

The young Uchiha frowns as the full implications of that fact begin to take hold. His family was alive in this era, but he was now engaged to a woman that he barely knew. Tradeoffs.

"I'm nice to Hinata! It's not like I smack her around like I do you."" Sasuke says with a smirk and with that, he walks over to the unconscious woman and sits down.

After sitting down, he cradles her head in his lap and looks at her. This was the first time that he had ever really done so. Sasuke could certainly pick her face out in a crowd, he knew her name, and a little about her personality. She was little more than a stranger to him though and yet, they were engaged.

He hadn't been lying to Suigetsu. She was beautiful and kind. Really, he didn't deserve her (or anyone), after everything that he did in his "past life." Still he should at least try to be a good husband to her. It wasn't her fault that he had done horrible things in a life that he doubted anyone else could remember.

"Why are you looking at her like that?" Naruto asks in confusion.

"Like what?" Sasuke retorts as if daring the blonde to ask that again.

"Like you feel guilty about something? She's alright, bastard. She'll wake up soon. You really have to learn to control your own strength though." The other man says.

Sasuke just shakes his head in response and that's when Hinata opens her eyes. She looks up at him in confusion. Sasuke could only sigh in response.

"Hey, you alright?" The Uchiha whispers.

"I think so. What happened? Are the others alright?" The bluenette replies.

"Yes, they're fine. I imagine Kakashi and Sakura will be waking up soon. Naruto, why don't you make a couple clones and help Kakashi and Sakura get home. I should probably take Hinata back to her family. They're likely wondering where she is by now." Sasuke reasons.

Naruto nods in agreement as Sasuke stands up and scoops Hinata into his arms. Bridal Style. This was much to the loser's amusement and his future wife's shock.

"You're probably still disoriented. It's better, if I carry you." He explains.

Well one nice thing about Hinata is that she apparently wasn't the type to argue or make stupid comments. Most women would have tried to seduce him or protested. Not her though. She just blushes and nods.

It was a start. At least she hadn't fainted and Sasuke found that the Hyuga Princess was rather easy to carry. She was also a snuggler it seemed. By the time they had arrived at the Hyuga Estate, Hinata had snuggled into his chest and appeared to be quite content with her new travel arrangements.

Back in the past, a village meeting was being called. The Uchihas, Hyugas, and everyone else were all equally baffled as to the purpose of this meeting. Mikoto could tell that the entire village was anxious and hugs Itachi closer to herself.

"It's alright, sweetheart." She whispers to her son.

Mikoto smiles when she feels Fugaku place his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. He must have sensed her anxiety. There were times when it was a very good thing to be married to such a perceptive ninja. This just happened to be one of those times.

"Thank you all, for coming here on such short notice. I have a very important announcement to make." Sarutobi says.

Every single pair of eyes was snow fixed on the Hokage. An announcement from their village's leader could either be a very good thing or a very bad thing. There was no way to tell which would turn out to be the case here.

"I am stepping down from my position as Hokage. In my place, Jirayia will lead our village. I believe that it is a wiser move to step down while I am still able to contribute to the village instead of waiting for a disaster to occur or I am no longer fully able to perform my duties." He states.

There were loud gasps, murmurs of surprise, and even protests. Mikoto doubted that anyone was sincerely protesting the Toad Sage. He was an excellent choice. The protests were more out of loyalty to Sarutobi than anything else.

"I'm honored that you have chosen me to continue your legacy." Jirayia says.

Minato blinks. Jirayia would be an excellent Hokage. He knew that much, but the Yellow Flash had never seen it coming. His Sensei was far too carefree to ever willingly seek out a position of such awesome responsibility.

Something strange was going on here. He was going to find out what and judging by the look upon his wife's face, Kushina felt the same. The fact that the Third Hokage was stepping down so shortly after Danzo's death was also suspicious.

"Congratulations, Lord Jirayia!" Emiko calls out.

Mikoto could only smile at her friend's actions. If there was one thing that woman was good at, it was certainly breaking the ice. After all, she had manage to thaw out Hiashi Hyuga's heart and that was no small feat.

Soon enough similar well wishes were offered and the applause became thunderous. Mikoto laughs and leans into her husband's arms as she rocks Itachi. It was truly the start of a new era.

"Are you upset that you weren't chosen?" She whispers to Fugaku.

"No. I'm not upset. Jirayia is a good choice. Besides, this just means that I will have more time to spend with my beautiful wife and son. Why would I be upset about that?" He asks slyly as he kisses her cheek.

Mikoto giggles and cuddles into him. He really was such an overgrown teddy bear sometimes. Of course, Fugaku would likely protest such a description until his dying day. That didn't matter though. (It was still true!)

"I've chosen Jirayia because he is strong, loves our village, intelligent, and has a good heart. While he may be a bit of unconventional choice, I have full confidence that he will lead our village well. Jirayia, did you have anything further that you would like to say?" The former Hokage asks.

"Just that I'm flattered by the trust that you have placed in me and that I won't let any of you down. Oh and no need for all that formal stuff. You're all free to go. There's no point in making you stand around all day." The Sannin says as his former teammates walk over to him and offer their personal congratulations.

"In that case, we should probably head home and put Itachi down for a nap." Mikoto suggests.

Fugaku nods and heads off with his wife. They were both rather fortunate that Itachi was such a sweet tempered child. He had heard many horror stories about fussy infants.

"We really should look at the journal that he left us." The Uchiha Patriarch points out as his wife sets Itachi down in the extra crib they kept in the living room.

"You're right, My Love. Why don't you go fetch it?"" She suggests.

Fugaku nods and follows Sasuke's instructions. It was smart move. No one would bother to look behind a wedding photo. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find the journal in question.

"Are you ready for this, Kitten?" He asks softly.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's see what he left for us." Mikoto whispers.

Meanwhile in the present, Sasuke sets Hinata down by the entrance of the grand estate that her family lived in. At least she wasn't adverse to being close to him in this era. She didn't fear or hate him.

Though he supposed that he should have expected that. In this timeline, he had never done any of the horrible things that he was certain would always weigh heavily on him in one form or another as long as he lived. Hinata had no reason to be skittish around him. (Well other than her natural shyness, but they could work on that.)

"Thank you. You should go though. I thought you said that your family was taking you out to find you a suitable wedding kimono." Hinata reminds him as she kisses his cheek chastely.

"You're welcome and you're right. I should get going. I'll see you soon." He informs her.

Sasuke kisses her forehead briefly and with that, he darts off. So far almost everything seemed to be going according to plan. The Uchiha District was intact and his family was alive. There were just a few curveballs that would take some getting used to.

Once he was gone, Hinata heads to her room. That's when she noticed a Genjutsu was placed by her bed. One that was layered so many times that if it wasn't her own chakra, she doubted that she would have ever seen it. The strangest thing though was she didn't remember casting it.

Surely, she must have had a good reason for using such an elaborate Jutsu. Determined to find out what, she hastily grabs the box that was hidden instead it and finds a bunch of letters. Letters to herself. Curious, she begins reading them.

 _ **Dear Self,**_

 _ **I know that this must all seem strange to you. I had to perform the elaborate Genjutsu to make sure no one else would find the letters. It's very important to keep this all a secret. The only people you should speak to this about are Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto.**_

 _ **Sasuke's Rinnegan allowed him to use the Rinnegan to read the Uchiha Stone Tablets. In those Tablets was a Time Traveling Jutsu. He went back in time.**_

 **We don't know what will happen when the timelines eventually collide. That's why the three of us wrote down our memories. Your Sasuke may be very different from my Sasuke.**

 **I hope that the two of you, well…we'll be happy together. Enclosed in these letters are all my most important memories of the other timeline and what little I knew of the OTHER Sasuke. Admittedly, it isn't much. Still I hope that you will find it useful.**

 **Love, Yourself.**

"I have to talk to them immediately." Hinata says as she races out of her room and finds a Branch Member.

"I have to leave for awhile to train with my Team. Please tell my father that I'll be with Team Eight, if he asks. I don't know how long I'll be gone. This is some very intense training." Hinata tells her fellow Clanswoman.

"Of course, Lady Hinata. Good luck on your training." The other Hyuga woman says with a formal bow.

Hinata thanks her and Flickers off. She knew where Naruto would probably be. The Ramen Stand. Sakura was likely still at the hospital though. That'd be a bit trickier.

"Naruto, have you read our letters yet?" She demands.

"Letters? What letters?" The blonde asks in an utterly baffled voice.

"It's a long story. We need to find Sakura and Kakashi now though." The blunette replies.

The blonde tilts his head to the side. Hinata knew that she wasn't acting very much like herself, but there was likely no time to waste. The sooner that they all read their letters, the better off that they would be.

"Alright. Let's go get them." Naruto says as the two of them swiftly head off.

Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Sasuke practically gets ambushed by some of his male relatives. Fugaku, Itachi, Kenji, Shisui, and even Obito were there. They all looked far too pleased with themselves and suddenly, Sasuke found himself feeling rather nervous.

"Ah there you are! Come along, Sasuke. We have some wedding shopping to do and a bachelor party to arrange." Kenji says cheerfully.

"Father, I told you that Sasuke has no interest in such things. We'll just get him his wedding kimono and leave it at that." The Uchiha Patriarch says.

"Humor them, Sasuke. It's not every day that my foolish little brother gets married." Itachi says as he pokes his forehead.

Sasuke grumbles. Damn it. Apparently, it didn't matter what timeline they were in. Itachi was always going to poke his forehead!

"Oh come on. It'll be fun. Who doesn't enjoy admiring beautiful women?" Shisui asks merrily.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. It was the oddest thing. The last thing he remembered about Shisui was him being a little kid. To say the least, it was a jarring experience to see him as a fully grown man again. (A man who apparently had a healthy appreciation for the beauty of the female form at that!)

"I have a foolish little brother and an even more foolish cousin." Itachi says with a sigh.

"Itachi, can you even go to my party? Wouldn't Izumi be jealous?" Sasuke asks.

"That's a good point. I love my wife dearly, of course. That doesn't change the fact that she can be rather jealous at times." The older Uchiha brother observes.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. According to his new memories, that was putting it rather mildly. Mikoto and even Aiya were no match for Izumi Uchiha when it came to being a possessive lover and that was certainly saying something. Those women could be very scary, when someone behaved inappropriately towards their husbands.

"How about we get the kimono first and then we'll see how we feel after that?" Sasuke suggests with a smile.

"Ah. A very diplomatic answer. Let's go." Fugaku says and with that, the male Uchihas head off.

Back in the past, Mikoto and Fugaku were reading Sasuke's journal. It was enlightening to say the least. The two of them could scarcely believe what they were reading.

 **Dear Mother and Father,**

 **If you're reading this, I have gone back to my era. There are a few things that you will need to know while I'm away. Danzo may be gone, but please do make sure that his followers don't cause mischief later. Secondly, please encourage Jirayia to assign Minato to be Obito's Squad Instructor later on. Third, make sure that Obito, Kakashi, and Rin NEVER go on the mission that I have described in great detail below.**

 **There are a few other minor things. I've also enclosed a letter to Obito to read when he's older. Please deliver that to him. Oh and keep a close eye on Orochimaru. While he may not be evil, he's willing to do some very evil things in pursuit of his goals. He likes to experiment on people.**

 **It would also be wise to continue opening up our Clan more to the rest of the Leaf Village. Our isolation sowed the seeds of our demise last time. I do not want to see that happen again.**

 **Finally, I would also encourage you to strengthen our alliance with the Hyuga Clan. They're a lot like us in many ways and they've proven themselves trustworthy. Maybe through a marriage at some point.**

 **That's everything, really. Give my love to Itachi, Obito, Shisui, and my grandparents. I would say that I'll miss you, but I'm going back to my time. So I will see you soon. I love all of you.**

 **Love, Daisuke.**

"Why do you think that he was so focused on that mission? Obviously, our isolation harmed our Clan in a major way. He wouldn't have gone back to the past, if it hadn't." Mikoto wonders.

"I imagine that one or more of them died on that mission." Fugaku reasons.

Mikoto nods. Yes, that must be it. What else could it possibly be? Sasuke was likely just trying to save Obito or his team in general. After all, the Uchiha Matriarch had no way of knowing that one day, the fate of Obito would determine the fate of the Ninja World.

In the present, the light had disappeared from the Leaf. It had dispersed, but the chakra had not disappeared. The violet light continues on its journey towards the Sand Village.

"Gaara! You've got to see this!" Kankuro shouts at the Kazekage, after peeking into his office.

"See what?" The red head asks in a confused voice.

"Look outside! It's spreading! I think it's some kind of chakra!" The puppet master replies.

Gaara raises an eyebrow and heads outside. What on Earth could cause his brother to panic in such a fashion? Kankuro was a Jonin. Panicking was not something that he did lightly.

That's when the young Kage saw it. The chakra was slowly spreading throughout the village. He recognized the chakra. Sasuke's.

"Tell everyone not to touch it!" The Kazekage commands.

It was too late though. The chakra had now surrounded the Sand Village in a dome. The very air was growing heavy with it and the red head for the first time in a long time, felt sleepy.

That was the last thing on his mind, before he fell into a deep sleep. He wasn't the only one though. All of the Sand Villagers fell asleep.

"My head." Gaara mutters in annoyance the next morning.

"You aren't the only one. I'm not sure what happened, but everyone fell asleep. Some people fell asleep, right in the middle of the street." Kankuro says.

The red head frowns. That didn't make any sense. He almost never slept thanks to the One Tails. Though in recent years, he had been making progress with the Raccoon Demon.

Arisa Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were the ones who really helped him the most. The latter's mother was a Jinchuuriki. So he understood more than most what Gaara had gone through as one. As for Arisa, well her persistence had eventually "knocked some sense into him," as his brother was fond of saying.

"We should have medics examine everyone." Gaara says.

"Good idea. I'll go see if the medics are awake as well." Kankuro says as he darts off to do precisely that.

Thankfully, the medics were awake and they were rather efficient in their examinations. As far as they could tell, nothing was wrong with any of the Sand Villagers. It was the strangest thing.

None of them could figure out what had caused them all to fall asleep at the same time. Surely, that couldn't have been a natural occurrence and yet, not a single clue had been left behind. The chakra had long since disappeared, leaving behind a very baffled Sand Village.

"This is bizarre. I'm going to contact the Leaf about this. If we're experiencing abnormalities such as this, it's possible other places are as well." Gaara states as he heads back to his office.

He quickly writes a letter and sends it off with a messenger hawk. Before doing so, he ties a rose to the creature's feet. Thanks to a special Jutsu the rose wouldn't die until he did. That meant it wouldn't wilt on the way.

"I might as well let Arisa know that I'm thinking of her, while we figure out what is going on." He mutters under his breath.

Arisa's name meant "There is Sand." Perhaps it was only fitting that she was the one who drug him out of the Darkness. It was thanks to her, Naruto, and to a lesser extent the other Rookies that the Sand and Leaf were now allies and his demons had been tamed. (Mostly.)

"Gaara, we had everyone checked. They're all okay." Temari says as she walks into his office, a few minutes later with Kankuro.

Gaara sighs in relief. Well that was something at least. The only thing left to do was to see what caused it.

"Good. I just sent a letter to the Leaf. Perhaps Minato will know something." He suggests.

Minato was the Fifth Hokage. It was fitting in a way because his predecessor had once been his Sensei. Gaara also knew that one day, Naruto would be the Sixth Hokage.

That blonde was forever going on about it. Well Gaara couldn't begrudge him his dreams. It was nice that Naruto had a goal. Right now, Gaara had two goals himself.

The Kazekage wanted protect his friends, family, and village. That was his first goal. His second was to make Arisa happy. He liked to think that thus far, he had been doing a good job at both. That was why this sudden "Sleep Jutsu" disturbed him so much. He had to get to the bottom of this.


	23. Chapter 23

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not sure how big the Uchiha Clan was. I'm presuming because they had their own District and thought they could take over the village, that they had a lot of people. So the number 500 may or may not be cannon.

Chapter 23

A month had passed since Sasuke returned to his era. It was the strangest sensation. He had two sets of memories and every day, the original began to feel more like a dream than anything he had actually experienced. The horrors of the past were slowly being left behind.

The surreal sensation of his new existence was only further increased by the fact that he was discussing possible Honeymoon locations with his brother. Itachi was alive! Itachi was alive, healthy, and happy! He still couldn't believe it!

"Foolish little brother, you look as though you're about to cry. We're planning your Honeymoon. This should be a happy occasion. I'm aware that some people cry at weddings, but I have never heard of a man crying over a Honeymoon before." Itachi teases him as he pokes his forehead.

"Owe! Will you STOP doing that?!" Sasuke grumbles.

"I'll stop doing it when you stop being foolish. That day will likely never arrive and thus, I shall continue to poke your forehead. It's all very simple. Foolish little brother, it's my way of saying that I love you." The elder Uchiha says.

Sasuke smiles. This was the way that Itachi should have been able to live both of his life. Happily married, healthy, and teasing him. Just like it was always meant to be.

"I love you too, but the forehead thing is annoying." He says.

"Well on your Honeymoon you can poke your wife instead." He states smugly and Sasuke could only gape at his elder brother.

He couldn't believe that Itachi had just made a dirty joke. The world must have tilted on its axis. Sasuke couldn't believe his ears.

"I can't believe you just said that!" He growls accusingly at Itachi.

"Foolish little brother, it will be your Honeymoon. What do you think married people do on their wedding night? I suppose that I could explain Kunais and Pouches to you. I would have thought that father, mother, or even grandfather would have done so by now though." He continues with a smirk.

Unbelievable! Now, Itachi was teasing him about consummating his marriage. Any moment now, Sasuke was certain that he would see a pig flying by their living room window.

"You're such a jerk! Of course, I know about THAT! Father gave me that explanation years ago!" Sasuke grumbles.

"Good. Now, let's see here. What about the Land of Tea? It's popular choice and rather well known for its hot springs." Itachi suggests.

"Yeah. That'll work. Someplace peaceful and far away. We can have some actual privacy there as well. That will be good because I'm essentially marrying a stranger." Sasuke says with a sigh.

Itachi shakes his head and embraces Sasuke. He couldn't help but feel guilty. Sasuke was only in this match because he had already found love with Izumi by the time the Uchihas and Hyugas decided to make their alliance more permanent.

"You know, you really don't have to go through with this. Our parents would never force you to marry someone that you didn't want to marry." He says.

"I know. I want to go through with it though. I want to do my part to protect our Clan and Hinata is nice. She's beautiful and thankfully, quiet. I'd sooner stab myself with a kunai than marry someone like Sakura. She's a good person, but she's far too…abrasive for my tastes." Sasuke observes.

"She is a bit like Kushina in that way, yes. Naruto seems quite fond of her though." Itachi muses.

Sasuke winces as he's hit with the image of a pink haired boy with blue eyes and more energy than common sense. The boy would also have Sakura's monstrous strength. Oh Dear God, that was a terrifying thought!

"Can you imagine if they had children?" Sasuke asks.

"I'm imagining a pink haired boy. That poor child would be teased for life." Itachi observes and Sasuke could only nod in agreement.

Meanwhile in the past, Jirayia was pretending to do paperwork. He was now Hokage and that meant that he had lots of responsibilities. There were some aspects of his job that he greatly enjoyed, but there were others that were rather tedious.

"You asked for me?" Minato asks with a smile, once he was inside his Sensei's Office.

"Yes, I did. I have every hope of training to you to take over for me in a few years. I think that we both know that I'm too much of a free spirit to really be tied down to such an important job for long. So I thought that we'd get started on your training early." The Sannin says.

Jirayia chuckles at the joyful look that his words caused to appear in Minato's eyes. The kid really had no idea what he was getting into. That was alright though.

"Really? Master Jirayia, I'm sure that you'll make a wonderful Hokage. You don't need to sell yourself short. You're still pretty young. You could be Hokage for decades and still perform the job ably. I am flattered that you have such faith in me though." The Yellow Flash says.

"Yes, really. I'd much rather travel the world and focus on my novels, truth be told. Anyway, do you still want to become Hokage? There's no harm in training you early. If I change my mind and decide to keep the post for a longer period of time, it won't hurt anything. Better safe than sorry, right?" The Toad Sage inquires slyly.

"That's true! Well that's great news! When can we get started?" The blonde asks cheerfully.

Jirayia couldn't help, but smile at the kid's eagerness. This was almost too easy. He felt a bit guilty about taking advantage of Minato like this, really.

Oh well. He was tired of paperwork and it would provide the kid with a lot of useful experience when it came to the more mundane aspects of being Hokage. Experience that would serve him well in the future.

"Right now. I'm going to show you how to handle some of the more technical aspects of this job." The Hokage says.

"Technical aspects?" Minato inquires in confusion.

"You'll see. Just stick with me, kid. We'll get you ready to be Hokage in no time." He says with a sly smile.

Elsewhere in the past, Mikoto smiles as she pushes Itachi's stroller and heads to the market. It was a beautiful day and she wanted to take advantage of it. That and she was pretty sure they were having a sale on tomatoes. She liked tomatoes.

"Mikoto, there you are. I've been meaning to talk to you." Orochimaru says as he walks over to her.

"Orochimaru, I am enjoying a day of shopping with my son. Kindly do not ruin it. If you persist in doing so, I will do something far worse than turning your Summon into boots!" She huffs.

Itachi giggles in his stroller. He didn't know what his mother was saying to the strange looking big person, but the big person was making a funny face. He looked so mad!

"Mikoto, I know that we had an unfortunate incident awhile back. I'd like to move past it though." He says as he looks down at Itachi.

The Uchiha Matriarch finds herself twitching. She didn't particularly care for the way he was looking at her son. Orochimaru was about to be pleased in another Genjutsu, if he didn't back off.

"I would like for us to ignore each other's existence and for you to get as far away from my son as possible." She says sweetly.

"Now, Mikoto. Please be reasonable. Sarutobi has been helping me with my research lately and I think that the Sharingan would be fascinating to study. It would benefit your Clan as much as it would me and the village as a whole. What do you say?" Orochimaru inquires.

Mikoto just gapes at him. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. He wanted to use Uchihas as his guinea pigs for his experiments!

The dark beauty bristles at the mere idea and was about to tell him exactly what she thought of his proposal, when she senses two familiar chakra signatures. The first was Sarutobi's and the second was her husband's. She smirks at the knowledge.

"Orochimaru, it doesn't seem as though she is interested in such a possibility." Sarutobi says, clearly trying to prevent an incident.

"That's correct. Though it does seem very much the case, that my wife wants you to leave her alone. Failure to comply with her request will result in your being thrown through the nearest window." Fugaku warns him as she strides over to his wife's side.

Mikoto smiles at her husband and kisses his cheek. He was such a protector. She knew that her only real hope of beating Orochimaru was to capture him in a Genjutsu again. Fugaku had always been more of a Taijutsu Specialist than her.

There was a reason why her lover had been considered as candidate for Hokage, after all. Fugaku Uchiha could more than hold his own against almost any opponent. It was one of the biggest reasons why he had survived the war, really.

"Fugaku, I wasn't threatening your wife. So kindly do not threaten me." Orochimaru says.

"You may not have been threatening her, but you were disgusting her. That's more than enough of a reason to throw you through a window and do not think that I have forgotten about you attacking Daisuke." Fugaku growls at him.

"Alright, everyone. While there could be enormous medical benefits to researching the Sharingan more, I can certainly understand why the two of you are against the idea. Orochimaru, leave them be. Besides, we have plenty of projects going on already." Sarutobi observes.

Mikoto sees the Sannin nod in agreement and sighs in relief as the elderly ninja escorts his bizarre student off. That man gave her the creeps. She certainly not going to allow him to go near her son(s). Ever!

"Are you alright, My Love?" Fugaku asks.

"I'm fine. How could I not be when I have such a dedicated protector?" She inquires with a sly smile as she kisses her husband's cheek and Itachi giggles in amusement.

"That's true. Well hopefully, that snake will leave well enough alone now. His fixation on our family is most unsettling." The Uchiha Patriarch observes.

Mikoto nods in agreement as Fugaku heads off to finish his patrol and she goes back to shopping. Though in the distance, she thought she heard Orochimaru ask about the Hyugas. She mentally groans and slaps her forehead at this. That man will never learn.

"Itachi, determination is a good trait. Sadly, like anything else you can have too much of a good thing. Whatever you do, don't grow up to be like Orochimaru." She informs her son.

Back in the present, Gaara heads to the Leaf Village. It had been a month since the "realignment" as he called it. The red head figured that enough time had passed that the brunt of the damage would be known by now. That or conversely, everything good about all the timeline changes would be known.

"Ah good morning, Lord Kazekage." Minato says with a smile from behind his Hokage Desk.

"Good morning, Lord Hokage. I was wondering if I might speak to Naruto or is he away on a mission?" The young Kakage inquires.

"Oh no. He just got back from a long bodyguard mission. Most likely he's at his house or the Ramen Shop. I suppose we did walk into that one. Naming him after ramen." Minato says with a playful wink.

Gaara nods in agreement and heads off. Minato was a good man. He was a more than capable Kage. That and if his already formidable abilities didn't deter threats, his beautiful wife's temper would! (Now, that was a fiery red head)!

It didn't take him long too get to the Ramen Shop. That's when he saw Naruto having Ramen with his mother. This was going to be awkward. He was going to have to be subtle in his attempts to get information.

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto calls out excitedly.

"Naruto, Lady Kushina." The red head greets them with a smile.

He liked Kushina, it was just that he didn't want to inform her that in another timeline she wasn't here. She would have been dead. That would make for a rather unpleasant conversation and it was one that they all strove to avoid.

"It's good to see you again, Gaara." Kushina replies with a smile.

"Yeah! Come sit with us!" The blonde calls out and so, Gaara does exactly that.

"I'd love to. I hope that things have been going well in the Leaf?" He asks subtly.

They had all decided never to tell anyone else about the new timeline. It was just easier that way, especially when so many people had been "revived" from the dead. That was why they spoke in subtly inquiries when others were around.

"Yeah. Everything is going great. Did you know that Granny Tsunade is training Sakura to take over the medical program at the hospital?" Naruto asks.

"I didn't hear that. That's wonderful news." Gaara replies with a smile and just then he feels someone "sneak up" on him.

His sand always prevented such things. The person in question soon gets wrapped in sand and the Kazekage turns around to see who had snuck up on him. He blinks when he realizes it was Arisa.

"Sorry, it's an instinct." He says, feeling his face heat up.

Arisa's name was due to the fact that she had sandy blonde hair. Hair that came down to her waist in straight silky strands. Gaara was almost positive that she was the first "blonde" Uchiha. Though calling her a blonde was stretching it a bit. Her hair was more like his mother's color than anything.

"It's alright. I probably should have known better than to sneak up on a Kage." She says with a bright smile.

She was Sasuke's and Itachi's distant cousin. Gaara wasn't entirely certain but he thought she was either their second cousin, three times removed or their third cousin, two times removed. He could never keep removals and gaps straight. He had no idea how the Uchihas managed when their Clan number five hundred strong.

"Yes, you should." Gaara agrees as he releases her from the sand and kisses her cheek.

"Wait to go, Gaara!" Naruto tells him happily.

While the Uchiha Clan wasn't as identical in looks as the Hyuga Clan was, there was definitely a strong family resemblance. She had Itachi's eyes. Her face strongly resembled Mikoto's and she also had Sasuke's fair skin.

Skin that Gaara liked very much to mark up with lovebites. It was rather easy to do and he acknowledged that he was probably a bit more possessive than was normal. Though she didn't seem to mind indulging him in this quirk. So he supposed that it was okay.

"Oh don't embarrass them. Though Arisa might want to start wearing high collars." The other red head observes merrily, causing both them both to blush bright red.

A few hours later, Mikoto, Aiya, Rin, and Izumi head back into the Uchiha District. The four of them had been out the majority of the day with Hinata, Hanabi, and Emiko. They had been shopping for wedding kimonos!

"The four of you look incredibly pleased with yourselves." Kenji comments cheekily.

"Why shouldn't we be? We just helped our future granddaughter-in-law, select her wedding kimono." Aiya says smugly.

Kenji shakes his head in amusement and kisses his wife's forehead. Did people really say granddaughter-in-law? Well he supposed they did now.

"That's nice. I'm sure you got yourself something quite pretty to wear to the ceremony as well?" He asks slyly.

"Of course. You don't get to see it until then though." She states firmly.

"I believe that superstition only applies to the bride, but very well. I'm sure it's lovely and I'll love take it off of you even more." Kenji replies with a smirk.

Shisui, Obito, and Itachi could only roar in laughter, once they heard that. It apparently didn't matter how old the elderly couple got. Kenji would always be well Kenji.

"Kenji Uchiha!" She says as she swats him lightly.

"I was only thinking what we were both thinking. Come, My Heart. It's late. There's a big wedding coming up soon. We should be well-rested to ensure we don't fall asleep in the middle of the proceedings." He suggests.

"Well I suppose that's true, but really you carry on like you're a teenager." Aiya grumbles as she heads off with her husband.

Mikoto laughs quietly. Well that was certainly a lively marriage. Hopefully, both her sons would be fortunate enough to still have that when they were old and gray.

"Those two never change." Izumi muses.

"That much his certain, My Love." Itachi says as he walks over and wraps his arms around his pregnant wife protectively.

"When are you due?" Shisui asks brightly and he owes when he gets a light swat from Obito, after asking that question.

Obito sighs and gives the younger Uchiha a dirty look. The man was a rather cheerful person, but also a casual one. Well when he wasn't on a mission or protecting their village/Clan anyway. Sometimes too casual.

"Have some tact. She's going to assume that you're saying she's already showing and think she's fat." He informs him.

"Oh boy." Rin says with a groan as she smacks her forehead.

Her husband meant well. He really did, but sometimes he was a little too blunt. This one of those times.

"I'm only two months along." Izumi grumbles as she snuggles into Itachi's embrace.

Upstairs Fugaku was helping to make sure that Sasuke would be ready for his wedding. He and Mikoto still remembered the other timeline. He imagined that in the older time line the "third" (or "second") Sasuke wouldn't remember his previous life, but Fugaku certainly did.

He knew that in the other life he had been at best inattentive and had strove to remedy that in this life. That was why, he was giving Sasuke advice for his impending marriage. Advice that he was sure that would serve him well.

"Indulge her. Women appreciate the little things. Most are fond terms of endearment. These endearments can be embarrassing in public, but in private just indulge her." He states.

"Terms of endearment like what? My Love? My Heart? That's not too bad." Sasuke says, not sure where his father was going with this.

"No. The private ones get progressively embarrassing. Your mother greatly enjoys calling me her Teddy Bear for instance. It is utterly emasculating, but it brings her joy. So I allow it." He says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He couldn't imagine anyone calling Fugaku Uchiha their teddy bear, but whatever. He could let Hinata call him some silly name in private.

"Alright. That's not a big deal." Sasuke says as he checks his wedding kimono in the mirror.

"Next, most women do enjoy being held. They often refer to this as snuggling or cuddling. I prefer to call it embracing." Fugaku states.

"Yeah. Embracing is less…cute." Sasuke agrees.

Fugaku nods in agreement. Hmm. What else was there? There was obviously the small stuff.

"Compliments and small gifts tend make them happy. That's rather basic. Flowers and the like. Whatever you do, do not forget her birthday or your anniversary. Should the two of you conceive, never joke about her weight while she's in pregnant and humor her strange food cravings. Your mother enjoyed cabbage when she was pregnant with Itachi." He offers.

"Cabbage? That's weird. Though I guess that does explain why Itachi likes it so much." Sasuke says thoughtfully.

It was difficult for him to imaging "conceiving" with Hinata. The woman was just so shy. She used to faint whenever Naruto even looked at her. Thankfully, his Clan was massive.

If their marriage was to be more of a friendship, it wouldn't matter. They had five hundred members, after all. Itachi and Izumi were already expecting their first child. So mercifully, they didn't have to have children right away or ever.

"Yes, it was strange. As far as actual intimacy goes, you'll figure out what she likes and what she doesn't. Most of that is instinctual. I would say that your wife would tell you her _preferences_ , but she strikes me as a rather modest woman. She'd likely be too embarrassed to tell you such things. Well at least initially." The Uchiha Patriarch continues.

"Most likely." Sasuke concedes.

He couldn't imagine Hinata telling him what she liked or anyone, really. She was just that shy. That was fine though. He didn't mind.

"It varies from couple to couple. So don't take it as a blow to your pride or that you're doing something wrong, if you have to initiate most of the time. Your mother and I, both initiate about half the time." He continues.

"This conversation just took an incredibly awkward turn. I don't really want to hear about you and mother, initiating anything." Sasuke says, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Right. Right. Well I am just trying to do my duty to you as your father and ensure that you got into your marriage with your eyes wide open. You are really doing a great thing for our Clan, Sasuke. Never forget that. Your marriage may not be based on romantic love at the moment, but it is still based on love. Love for your respective families." The Uchiha Patriarch reminds him.

Sasuke nods. That was less awkward. He could live with his father talking about the love of your Clan. The whole second Kuanis and Pouches Talk though, that he could live without.

"I know. Besides, who knows? Maybe, it'll grow into something more later on. That and it's not like I'm in love with anyone else." Sasuke says.

"Well that's as fairly optimistic view. Good. If nothing else, you know that you are marrying a beautiful woman who puts the needs of her family above herself. That's more than most people get. I did the same and it worked out wonderfully for us." His father assures him.

"I got my family back and a wife out of Time Traveling. There are definitely worse things than ending up getting married because of unexpected changes to the timeline. Do you think the rest of our family will behave at the ceremony?" Sasuke asks nervously.

Fugaku chuckes. Sasuke really should know better than to ask that question. The odds of them behaving for the ceremony were essentially zero.

"Not a chance." He says with a smirk.


	24. Chapter 24

Her Face

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of attention this story got because this pairing isn't one that people normally write about. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the conclusion of _**Her Face**_ and feel free to check out my other stories, if you're interested. There will likely be some new ones in the relatively near future too.

Chapter 24

 _He was getting married today._ Sasuke couldn't quite wrap his mind around that fact. He was getting married today and his marriage was going to solidify the alliance between two of the most powerful Noble Clans in the Leaf Village. It was a little overwhelming, when he thought about it.

"Don't worry, bastard. I'm sure that Hinata will put up with the fact that you're a bastard, just fine. She did agree to marry you, knowing what you're like." Naruto says brightly.

Sasuke feels himself twitch. He was about to Chidori his best friend when his grandfather steps in. Thankfully, the quick swat behind the ears was enough to reign in his wayward friend. There were definitely advantages to having living grandparents around, the young Uchiha muses to himself.

"Be nice to my grandson on his wedding day. His feet are likely cold as ice as it is. He doesn't need to be teased. That and remember, he can tell your little girlfriend about what sort of mischief you got up to at his Bachelor Party." Kenji says slyly.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Sorry, Sasuke. Wait. What girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend!" The blonde asks in confusion.

"He means Sakura, Naruto." Gaara observes in amusement and perhaps a little exasperation.

Sasuke nods gratefully at the Kazekage for that explanation. The red head was here because he was Arisa's date and really, Sasuke didn't think that it would hurt to have another Kage at their wedding. That just made it an even more prestigious event.

Hopefully, it would be prestigious enough that no one would ever dare to target his Clan again. That was why they had decided to have a grand wedding in the gardens of the Hyuga Estate. There were few places that could accommodate both large families and their friends as easily as the Hyuga's enchanting gardens could.

"I'm not dating Sakura though." The bubbly blonde protests.

"Oh Dear Lord, Minato will you kindly explain to this boy about Kunais and Pouches after the wedding?" Fugaku groans as he smacks his forehead.

"I know all about kunais and pouches. You put your kunais in your pouches. What's the mystery?" He asks.

Sasuke just shakes his head. He wasn't even sure if he had the patience to explain the concept of a metaphor to his energetic friend on this day. He was barely holding it together as it was.

He smiles as he looks in the mirror though. His wedding kimono was a deep navy blue that contrasted nicely against his fair skin and flattered his build nicely. The finishing touch was the Uchiha Crest on the back though.

"Naruto, Kunais and Pouches is a common expression to describe explaining the act of intimacy between and a man and a woman." Minato explains.

Minato couldn't believe that this day had come. He knew the truth about everything, but he kept it to himself. He had stumbled upon Naruto's journal and well, this day was nothing short of a miracle.

Apparently, he owed Sasuke his life. That's why he didn't mind teasing his son a bit at the wedding. Not that he was ever going to tell Kushina or Naruto about his discovery.

Nothing good would come of it. Why quibble about how this day came about? What mattered was that it had.

"Ohhh! Damn! You're all a bunch of perverts!" Naruto exclaims.

Obito, Shisui, and Itachi couldn't help, but chuckle at their friends antics. Say what you want about Naruto, there was never a dull moment around the man. Be that as it may, they still had a wedding to get to.

"We should probably head outside. The ceremony will be starting soon and it is customary for the Groom to be waiting at the alter for the Bride." Itachi points out.

Sasuke nods and with that, his groomsmen and the young Uchiha all head outside. He smiles at the beautiful spring day. The birds were chirping, the Sakura Blooms were in full bloom, and so were the other flowers. It was a warm day, but the spring breeze meant that it wasn't uncomfortable.

There had to be thousands of white chairs with golden cushions laid out in rows around him. There were also dozens of tables with every food you could imagine piled high on it. There were many cakes, but there were two very large ones that stood in the center of everything.

"Damn. Those are big cakes." Naruto whispers to Sasuke.

Sasuke nods in agreement. There was no getting around it. Each cake was easily six feet tall and spanned about three feet in width. One was made to look like the Uchiha Symbol and the other was made to look like the Hyuga Symbol. The baker had outdone themselves. (Sasuke was actually going to feel guilty about eating some of it later.)

"Yeah. They are. There's really nothing subtle about this wedding." Sasuke observes in amusement.

There was classical music playing in the background. The flowers, fish pond, and alter also added to the atmosphere. The alter was made of silver and had white lilies and red roses woven into it. Sasuke supposed the lilies represented the Hyugas and the red roses were obviously a not so subtle nod to the Sharingan.

"Awe! She's so cute." Someone calls out, just as the Groomsmen were reaching the alter.

Sasuke looks around to see what they meant and he smiles. Mirai was the flower girl. In this timeline, the cute little toddler had both of her parents watching her proudly from the crowd. He wasn't exactly sure how he had ended up saving Asuma, but he was happy that he had nonetheless.

After all, Asuma was Kurenai's husband. Kurenai was Hinata's Sensei. So the fact that Asuma was alive because of him, well he figured that won him some brownie points. (It didn't matter that he hadn't intentionally set out to save the man; those brownie points still belonged to him!)

"Have some flowers!" Mirai calls out as she throws her large bucket of white lily and red rose petals everywhere, much to the crowds delight.

It didn't take long for Hinata to be escorted down the aisle by her father. Sasuke smiles at the sight. He was rather amazed that Hinata hadn't fainted yet. There had to be thousands of eyes on her, but she still walked gracefully with the proud Hyuga Patriarch.

Her beautiful blue hair was done up in elaborate bun and she wore a snowy white kimono. A kimono with a somewhat daring neckline that proudly featured her necklace. A necklace that matched the Uchiha Symbol on the back of her gown.

"You got really lucky, Sasuke." Kakashi teases him.

Yeah. He definitely had gotten lucky. There was something that was both enchanting like a fairytale princess about the way she wore that dress and alluring.

Alright. Maybe, he should try to explore the possibility of them combining their bloodlines. Hinata wouldn't have worn THAT, if she wasn't interested. Would she?

"Hey." He says a few minutes later, when Hinata reaches the alter and he takes her hands in his own.

"Hey." She says with a shy smile.

Hinata's Bride's Maids were standing right next to them as well. His mother, grandmother, Emiko, Rin, Hanabi, and Izumi. Really, he supposed that his future wife was rather beloved.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Hinata had chosen her mother to be her Maid of Honor. He had chosen Itachi. Sasuke was aware that his blushing Bride had likely had just as difficult a time choosing her "Top Pick" as he had. In the end, they had both decided to choose their formerly fallen family members.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the Union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga. Apparently, because the Hyugas and Uchihas aren't already massive Clans on their own. These two families produce children faster than I can produce my latest novels." Jirayia says cheerfully.

Jirayia was the former Hokage and thus was a respected figure. He was also a romantic. That was why Mikoto had suggested that he be the one to preside over the ceremony.

Sasuke wasn't sure WHY he had agreed to such a thing in the first, but he was regretting it now. He could feel himself twitch. That Toad Sage was itching for a Chidori, apparently.

"JIRAYIA! CONDUCT YOURSELF WITH MORE DIGNITY! YOU'RE A SANNIN, FOR GOODNESS SAKES!" Tsunade roars from the crowd.

Sasuke wasn't sure when exactly, but the two of them had married in this timeline. It was clearly a love match, but it was also an extremely loud one. Why the busty woman thought she could reign in her husband's eccentric behavior was quite frankly beyond him. Though he had to admit that her persistent attempts to do so were admirable. (If futile.)

"I was just having a little fun. Alright. Alright. Everyone calm down and put away your fireballs and fists. Sheesh. Can't anyone take a joke anymore?" Jirayia asks.

"If you don't not proceed with the Ceremony as planned, I will let my wife throw that fireball that she has in her hand at you." Fugaku warns him.

Jirayia gulps. This was getting a little dangerous. He decides that it would be in his best interests to continue.

"Right. Right. Well moving on. If anyone has any objections why this lovely young couple should not be united in martial bliss, please speak now or forever hold your peace." The Sage says, suddenly feeling more than a little nervous.

Thankfully, no one was suicidal enough to raise any objections. Doing so would earn the ire of the Uchihas AND the Hyugas. The two Clans were amongst the most powerful and numerous in the Leaf. Irritating them would be nothing short of a death wish at this point.

"Wonderful. As there are now objections, we can continue. Hinata Hyuga, do you take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and cherish? To be by his side in good times and in bad? And to forsake all others until death do you part?" Jirayia inquires.

"I do." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

Sasuke finds himself smiling back. She really was such a sweet, Blushing Bride. Maybe something good would come of this besides uniting the Clans. It could turn out to be a love match. Maybe.

That's when he hears some rather loud sobbing and blinks. Sasuke glances at the crowd and cringes. Lee and Guy were bawling their eyes out next to Ino-Shika-Cho Trios. It was rather disturbing to see two grown men wearing spandex, crying at a wedding.

"Oh don't cry. It's a happy day." Ino says, trying to comfort the spandex lovers.

"I know. I know. It's just that I always cry at weddings." Guy sniffles out.

"Right. Well that happens sometimes. Sasuke Uchiha, do you take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish? To be by her side in good times and in bad? And to forsake all others until death do you part?" The author asks.

Sasuke shakes his head to clear away the disturbing images of Lee and Guy bawling and then smiles. He knew that he was doing the right thing for their Clans, the village, and maybe even for them. So he didn't hesitate as he answered Jirayia.

"I do." The young Uchiha replies confidently.

"Excellent. Then by the powers vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the Bride." The Sannin states happily.

Sasuke smiles and leans over to kiss Hinata. He expected it to be fairly chaste. The young Uchiha almost had a heart attack when Hinata decided to make a show of it.

She was probably trying to convince everyone that it was a love match. Well whatever her reasons, Sasuke was more than content to go along with them. Hinata might be shy, but kissing was something that she was certainly exceptional at.

"Well I suppose she doesn't mind my foolish little brother gaping at her like a fish. That bodes well for the Honeymoon." Itachi says cheerfully.

"Itachi! Stop teasing your brother like that." Izumi scolds him lightly.

"He's my brother. I'm supposed to tease him. It's how we show that we love each other." The other ninja says.

There were many catcalls and a rather annoyed coughing Hiashi as the kiss continued on for longer than most people would have expected. Sasuke was vaguely aware of Emiko and Hanabi giggling, but it didn't really matter at the moment. All that mattered was that this was their wedding.

"Alright, lovebirds. Let's throw the bouquet and garter belt" Shisui calls out.

Hinata and Sasuke break apart with a blush and nod. The bluenette quickly threw her bouquet and was surprised when it landed on an aging ninja cat. A ninja cat with fur the color of moonlight.

"Ninja cats have longer lives than their more domesticated cousins." Fugaku explains, seeing everyone's shocked faces.

"Right. Well now it's time for the garter belt." Jirayia says with a smirk.

Sasuke shakes his head as he has his wife sit down on the chair and slowly pulls it off. Without thinking about it much, he proceeds to throw it into the crowd. That's when it smacked into Orochimaru's head.

"What on Earth is HE doing here?" Mikoto fumes.

"Well I wanted to offer my well wishes to the happy couple like everyone else. I didn't… think I'd catch the garter belt though." He muses.

The Third was about to say something, when Aoda slithers over and whacks Orochimaru away from the ceremony. Apparently, Sasuke and Mikoto thought that having the snake attend the wedding was only proper as he was ""part of the family." Now, Sarutobi could see why. He was just as protective as a golden retriever.

"Oh no! The cakes!" Hinata says mournfully as Orochimaru lands on top of both of the beautiful cakes, completely crushing them.

"It's alright. It's not like we're going to run out of food." Sasuke says.

Orochimaru was still a Leaf Ninja. Sarutobi was his "assistant" and at some point, Kabuto had come along. While he still wasn't about to invite Orochimaru any family dinners, the man had largely been reformed.

"How dare you?!" Orochimaru seethes as he throws some cake at Aoda.

"Don't you attack that snake! He was just protecting our family from the likes of you! MEOWWW!" Tsuki says as she throws herself at the Sannin.

"Oh well. Like Sasuke says, we got plenty of food. FOOD FIGHT!" Suigetsu says as he walks over and hurls some cake at innocent bystanders.

Well that was all it took really. Soon the Hyugas, Uchihas, their friends, and several of the more prominent members of the Leaf Village were throwing cake at everyone. It was quite similar to Fugaku's and Mikoto's wedding really.

"This seems rather familiar." Fugaku whispers to his wife during the chaos.

"Yes, it does. Just like back then, I'll make sure to win this battle." Mikoto informs her husband as she tosses cake at him.

As the fight was going on, Naruto notices that Tsume was staring at Sasuke. The woman was staring at him rather intently. Wondering what was up, he decides to ask.

"You alright?" The bubbly blonde inquires.

"Oh yes. It's just the strangest thing. Sasuke greatly resembles a boy that I knew years ago. I danced with him at a festival. It's really uncanny how Uchihas look so much alike." She muses.

"Yeah. Uncanny. Well I wouldn't worry about it. You might wanna duck though. There's a lot of cake flying and you don't wanna ruin your dress, do you?" Naruto asks.

The young ninja saw Tsume smirk and immediately gulps. Uh oh. Now, he knew what was about to happen. He tries to dodge, but it was now use. Soon he was covered in cake.

"YO, BASTARD! I want to talk to you!" Naruto yells as he races over.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow as he watches the cake war going on. Even his parents were getting into it. His mother was being particularly vicious. Damn. His father was covered from head to toe in frosting.

"What is it, loser?" He asks.

"Did you dance with Kiba's mom in the past?" Naruto demands.

"It was one dance. My grandfather wanted me to participate in the festivities. So what? Wait. She doesn't actually remember that, does she?" Sasuke replies in an utterly baffled voice.

Damn. It had only been for a couple minutes. He didn't think that Tsume would remember it. This could be bad.

"Apparently, she does. You're lucky that she just figures you look like the guy. Time Travel usually isn't people's first guess when it comes to that kind of thing!" His friend chastises him.

"Right. Hinata, you alright? You look a little upset." Sasuke asks.

"I don't mind if she danced with you in the past, but you're my husband now." She states simply and Sasuke blinks.

"Of course. Nothing happened. It was just for a couple minutes. We didn't even kiss or an-YTHING!" Sasuke says as he gets drug off to dance by his surprisingly possessive wife. (Which he found strangely attractive for some reason.)

"Well it looks like she's not so shy, after all." Fugaku muses as he watches Hinata drag Sasuke off and Taka participates in the Cake War rather fiercely.

That's what Sasuke called his friends who weren't native to the Leaf Village. Taka. Taka consisted of Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu.

Suigetsu was a former Criminal Ninja who really liked swords. He was quite mischievous and amused Fugaku. Karin was rather gifted at Sensing Chakra and healing. Finally, there was Jugo who was a gentle giant that was currently learning to control his rages. (Poor guy had inherited them from his Clan who had rather unique chakra. The tradeoff was partial insanity.)

"Well they do say that it's always the quiet ones. Speaking of quiet, have you heard the rumors of the Akatsuki?" He whispers to her.

"My Love, it's our son's wedding. We can speak of the rift raft another day. Besides, I survived childbirth twice. If I can survive that, I'm confident that we can handle a few upstart criminals." She says.

Fugaku smiles and kisses her cheek. His Kitten could be quite the tigress when she wanted to be. That was just one of the things that he loved most about her.

"You're right. Together, we can handle anything. Time Travel, my meddling parents, our children's strange friends, and even three crazy Sannin. So why should the Akatsuki be any different?" He replies.

"I married such a smart man." Mikoto says with a smile as she cuddles into him, not caring that they were both covered in cake AGAIN.

Back in the past, a few years had passed. Currently, Mikoto and Fugaku were enjoying a nice hot bubble bath. From the window of the bathroom they could see into their garden. The garden where Itachi, Izumi, and Sasuke were currently playing.

"Are you sure that it's a good idea to leave them alone like that?" Mikoto asks her husband as she snuggles into him.

"Itachi is a very responsible boy for his age. Besides, if anything happened we could see it from the window and just Flicker to them." Fugaku assures his overprotective wife as he kisses her forehead.

"I suppose you're right. Fugaku, I've always wondered something. What made you so suspicious about Daisuke? I mean other than the obvious. That he appeared out of nowhere." She inquires.

Fugaku pauses as he considers the best way to explain this. He still felt guilty about feeling so suspicious of his own son. In his defense, how was he supposed to know that Sasuke was his son from the future?

"He had your face. Daisuke looked too much like you to be merely a cousin." The Uchiha Patriarch explains as he looks out the window and smiles.

Itachi was the picture of a doting older brother. He took Sasuke everywhere and was currently trying to help his younger brother master the art of walking. At the moment, Sasuke was stumbling over himself more often than successfully taking steps.

That didn't matter though. He'd get there and it was still early. That and it was ridiculously cute. Cute wasn't a word that Fugaku used much, if ever. Though he couldn't deny that it was certainly accurate in this case.

"That's romantic in a way. You recognized my face on him." She observes with a quiet laugh.

"Mikoto, I would recognize that lovely skin and those soulful eyes anywhere. Clearly, the family resemblance was too strong for it to be a mere coincidence. Of course, I didn't suspect time travel at first. Who would?" The ninja asks.

"That's good point. Some days, I can't believe it myself. It's strange. We know what Sasuke will grow up to look like, but not Itachi. How many parents can honestly say they know exactly what their toddler will look like once he becomes a man?" She muses.

Fugaku snorts in amusement. Well he supposed that was certainly one way of looking at it. His wife always had a rather unique perspective when it came to strange situations.

"That's true. Someday, I do hope that they both find their own match. That they are as happy as we are." He says.

"I hope that too. I wonder if his personality will change. Do you think that he'll remember any of this?" She whispers.

"I doubt he will. Maybe the original Sasuke would, but it's unlikely this one will. I suppose that we'll find out eventually though. We'll just have to wait until he starts talking." The other ninja observes thoughtfully.

He smiles as his wife nods in agreement. Mikoto was a smart woman. She knew when the best solution was simply to wait.

"I do hope that Kenji won't drag him to more Bachelor Parties. Don't think for one moment, that I didn't know." The Uchiha Matriarch states.

"Kitten, nothing happened. There were women and they danced. They tried to dance with me. Mostly I drank with Daisuke and chatted with the other men. It was more for them than me really. Wait. You didn't tell Kushina about it, did you?" He asks.

God help Minato, if Mikoto had told the red head about that Bachelor Party. The woman would raise Holy Hell about it. Kushina was the very definition of a fiery red head.

"Of course, I didn't tell her that. I have no reason to want Minato dead." She tells him.

"Oh good. Good. I'd rather not lose my best friend." He says with a chuckle.

"Yes and that's one of the reasons, why I didn't tell her. I know that nothing happened. You're a good man and you know that no exotic dancer could ever compete with me. I'll have you know that I've been doing some flexibility training with Emiko and I think that you'll like the results." She says with a sly smile as she kisses him.

Fugaku returns the kiss with a smirk. Well that certainly sounded promising. He was going to have to thank Emiko one day for what he was sure was going to be a _**very**_ enjoyable night with his beautiful wife.


End file.
